1000
GRS 310
UNCLASSIFIED
See (82)
FM HONG KONG 081105Z MAY 79
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 548 OF 8 MAY 79
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INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEXING.
CHINESE COMMENT ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
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1. FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF PART OF AN AFP REPORT, DATELINED PEKING 7 MAY, WHICH APPEARS THIS MORNING IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE STANDARD AS WELL AS MOST OF THE CHINESE PRESS, INCLUDING THE
TWO LEADING COMMUNIST PAPERS :
2, ''ASKED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE BRISIH AND PORTUGUESE COLONIES
OF HONG KONG AND MACAU MR SUNG SAID THERE WAS NO PRESSING NEED
TO SETTLE THESE QUESTIONS IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
3. A SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS WILL COME LATER. THERE ARE STILL 18 MORE YEARS BEFORE HONG KONG'S LEASE EXPIRES IN 1997. WE HAVE 18 YEARS TO SETTLE THE PROBLEM AND WE ARE NOT HURRIED,'' HE TOLD FRENCH NEWSMEN IN BEIJING.
4. '' THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS ATTENDING TO THE MATTER. NOT LONG AGO THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG VISITED CHINA. WE TOLD HIM THAT HONG KONG WAS PART OF CHINESE TERRITORY AND AT THE EXPIRATION OF THE LEASE WE WOULD SETTLE THE PROBLEM IN AN
ADEQUATE MANNER..""
5. ''THE PROBLEM OF INVESTMENTS IS ALSO WORRYING HONG KONG INDUSTRIALISTS, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE NEW TERRITORIES ARE CONCERNED.
THEY HAVE FEARS AND SOME HAVE EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT CANCELLING CERTAIN MAJOR INVESTMENTS,'' MR SONG SAID.
16.
HE