CONFIDENTIAL
rejected by the Chinese.
Such mistakes should not be made in
the future. China had much to learn from the experiences of
Hong Kong and would rely on a close and cooperative
relationship with Britain in the struggle to oppose Soviet
soci à l imperialis m
revisionist
Ji said that there will always be things to struggle for, as there were in 1967, but the residents of Hong Kong must learn
to handle them correctly, they must not constantly ask their Government (in Peking) to help them in handling struggles.
Zheng ing lio. 12 October 1978 also carried a story with the
same re-appraisal of the handling of the events of 1967.
However, this paper made no reference to Ji Feng's speech.
Macheloss
44. The atmosphere of friendly and co-operative relations
between the Governments of China and Hong Kong received a
further boost when Wang Kuang sent an invitation to the Governor to attend the Chinese National Day reception in Hong Kang on 30 September 1978. This was the first such invitation to z Governor of Hong Kong and Sir Murray was pleased to accept. Before photographers from the Hong Kong press, Wang Kuang proposed a toast to the queen and the Governor toasted the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NCP (China's "Head of State"), Ye Jianying (Yeh Chien-ying). The interdependence of
the Colony and China was thus symbolically affirmed, whilst the fact that China lays claim to the territory of Hong Kong was significantly given very little mention in any press coverage
of the event.
50 During a visit to London, the Chinese Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Huang Hua said to the Prime Minister on 11 October 1978
that the question of Hong Kong "should be settled in due course through negotiations". During the same visit, the Assistant
Foreign Minister, Song Zhiguang (Sung Chih-kuang) gave a brief
synopsis of the way in which the provincial authorities in Guangdong (Kwangtung) had taken care to establish good relations with liong Kong. They had undertaken to increase the supply of water to Hong Kong fan agreement on water supplies was later signed in Guangzhou (Canton) on 29 November at the
request of the Hong Kong authorities. A hoverferry service between Hong Kong and Guangzhou would be started shortly (the ferry made its inaugural run on 17 November). Charter flights