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GPS 130

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 888705Z FEB 82

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 180 OF 8 FEBRUARY

ا ان هات lice

Seelbia

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

YOURTELNO 48 TO PEKING

47

FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

1. SCMP AND OTHER LOCAL PAPERS (INCLUDING TA KUNG PAO AND WEN WEI PO) YESTERDAY CARRIED A REUTERS DESPATCH FROM PEKING, DATED

6 FEBRUARY. AN ''OFFICIAL CHINESE SOURCE'' WAS REPORTED AS SAYING THAT CHINA WANTED HONG KONG TO MAINTAIN ITS STATUS AS A FREE PORT AND A CENTRE OF BUSINESS AND FOREIGN TRADE. THE SECOND PRONG OF PEKING'S POLICY WAS THAT CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY MUST BE SAFEGUARDED''. BUSINESSMEN SHOULD CONTINUE TO INVEST IN HONG KONG AND CHINA COULD NOT BE BLAMED IF THEY FAILED TO DO SO. MANY

'AN PEOPLE WERE WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG BUT APPROPRIATE WAY WILL BE FOUND''. SO FAR NO THOROUGH STUDIES HAD BEEN MADE BUT THERE WAS TIME ENOUGH TO WORK OUT A FORMULA. 2. PEKING MAY WISH TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THIS REPORT IN COMMENTING ON THE EARLIER ONE.

MACLEHOSE

LIMITED

нктад

FED

}

THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT ADVANCED

PS

PSILPS

PSIPUS

SIR-L. ALLINSON

CONFIDENTIAL

47

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