"92280°
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FM HONG KONG 300852Z APR 82
TO ROUTINE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 435 OF 30 APRIL
INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,
we
PEKING.
FALKLAND ISLANDS: HONG KONG PRESS COVERAGE
EXXTENSIVE COVERAGE BY BOTH THE CHINESE AND ENGLISH PRESS REMAINS LARGELY FACTUAL. THE LIMITED COMMENT IN THE NON-COMMUNIST CHINESE PRESS HAS CONCENTRATED ON THE ROLE OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF FURTHER MILITARY ACTION. THE INDEPENDENT MING BAO ON 27 APRIL SUPPORTED BRITAIN'S RECAPTURE OF SOUTH GEORGIA AND POINTED OUT THAT ARGENTINA'S RECOURSE TO MILITARY ACTION WAS THE ORIGIN OF THE CRISIS.
2. THE NEW EVENING POST HAS BEEN THE ONLY COMMUNIST NEWSPAPER TO PUBLISH SIGNIFICANT COMMENT. A COMMENTARY PUBLISHED ON 9 APRIL FORCIBLY REFUTED ANY SUGGESTION OF A PARALLEL BETWEEN HONG KONG
AND
THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. THE ARTICLE SAID THAT SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE FALKLANDS WAS IN DISPUTE WHEREAS THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR DEBATE'' ABOUT HONG KONG WHICH WAS PART OF CHINA'S SOVEREIGN TERRITORY. THE COMMENTATOR ALSO SAID THAT THERE IS AT PRESENT NO-ONE WHO WANTS TO CHANGE THE WAY THINGS STAND IN HONG KONG. THE INVASION BY ARGENTINE TROOPS, HOWEVER, HAS ALREADY BROUGHT A CONSIDERABLE CHANGE OF THE STATE OF AFFAIRS OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS''. THE ARTICLE ALSO ASSERTED THAT THE HONG KONG QUESTION DID NOT ARISE UNTIL 1997 AND THAT PEKKIING HAD ALREADY STUDIED THE QUESTION AND IS PREPARING TO
NEGOTIATE A SOLUTION'’
3. THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (SCMP) ON 27 APRIL PUBLISHED AN EDITORIAL WHICH WAS CONFUSED AND INCONCLUSIVE: IT EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER MILITARY CONFLICT AND POINTED TO THE PROBLEMS WHICH WOULD ARISE IF BRITAIN REOCCUPIED THE ISLANDS BY MILITARY FORCE. IT ALSO CONDEMNED ARGENTINA'S RECENT DECLARATIONS AND EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT A DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION WOULD STILL BE POSSIBLE. THE HONG KONG STANDARD ON 28 APRIL CARRIED A COMMENTARY WHICH CONCENTRATED ON THE 'UNREALITY'' OF THE CRISIS AND SUGGESTED
THAT THE PEOPLE OF ARGENTINA AND BRITAIN DID NOT CARE VERY MUCH ABOUT THE FALKLAND ISLANDS.
HADDON-CAVE
FCO
SAM D
CABINET OFFICE
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
FALKLAND ISLANDS
COPTES TO
PS/CHANCELLOR
SIR K COUZENS
E LISTLER
MR HAWTIN
TREASURY
MR PERETZ
MR IRETT
SER M PALLAT STER
CABINET OFFICE
MISS DICKSON (EIP DIVN) E/ENERGY
MR A WILLIAMS DSW 60 HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE
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LONDON