)
135
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 080811Z OCT 79
TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.1387 OF 8 OCTOBER.
INFO HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.
CHAIRMAN HUA GUOFENG PRESS STATEMENT.
〇も
ther 020/1.34
BALETTO IN SLOTTO 51
INDEX
No
8 OCT 1979
TROFER 8/10
1. CHAIRMAN HUA'S REPLIES AT PRESS INTERVIEWS IN BEIJING YESTERDAY HAVE BEEN GIVEN EXTENSIVE COVERAGE IN TODAY'S CHINESE
AND ENGLISH-LANGUAGE MORNING DAILIES. SO FAR THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE FOLLOW UP AND FEW PRESS QUESTIONS. THREE EDITORIALS IN INDEPENDENT CHINESE PAPERS HAVE WELCOMED THE REPLIES.
2.
WE HAVE MADE NO OFFICIAL COMMENT. AS BACKGROUND WE ARE.
INDICATING IF ASKED THAT THE STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN HUA IS AN
ENDORSEMENT OF CHINA'S PREVIOUSLY STATED VIEW THAT THE FUTURE
OF HONG KONG CAN BE SETTLED BY CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN LONDON
AND BEIJING AT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE. WE ARE ENCOURAGED BY
THE CHINESE VIEW OF BRITISH/CHINESE RELATIONS VICH THE HONG
KONG GOVERNMENT BELIEVES TO BE EXCELLENT.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
HKIQ D
FED
OLD
NEWS D
MIL CORTAZZI
MRMURRAY
COPIES
TO
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE 6. GRAFTON ST. WI
CONFIDENTIAL