GR 35%
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FM HONG KONG 080945Z APR 82
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 327 OF 8 APRIL
INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
FOR WILLIAMSON HK GD
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HKK 040/1
RECITAT
1 3 APR 1982
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Past My Donald
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Ps | Lord Belstead
MASEFIELD'S LETTER HAB ID 2902C OF 17 MARCH: REFORM CLUB SURVEY
1. THE REFORM CLUB HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE CN 6 APRIL TO ANNOUNCE RESULTS OF A SURVEY ON PUBLIC OPINION ON 1997. THERE WAS FAIRLY WIDE PRESS COVERAGE OF THE CONFERENCE IN BOTH THE ENGLISH AND CHINEE
PRESS BUT LITTLE EDITORIAL COMMENT ON THE SURVEY ITSELF. PRESS COVERAGE AND COMMENT MAY HAVE BEEN OVER-SHADOWED BY THE FALKLAND
ISLANDS ISSUE.
See firs
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2. ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, THE SURVEY, CONDUCTED BY SURVEY RESEARCH (HK) LIMITED AND BASED ON A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 1,000 PEOPLE AGED 20 AND ABOVE, INDICATED THAT OVER 90 PER CENT OF THOSE SURVEYED WOULD PREFER CONTINUED RULE BY BRITAIN EITHER BY MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO OR AS A QUOTE TRUST UNQUOTE TERRITORY.
ONLY 4 PER CENT WANTED HONG KONG TO REVERT TO CHINESE ADMINISTRATION 58 PER CENT SAID THEY WOULD REMAIN IN HONG KONG IF PRC TOOK OVER. 28 PER CENT SAID THEY WOULD EMIGRATE. 4 PER CENT SAID THEY
WOULD RETURN TO PRC.
3. ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, THE REFORM CLUB SAID IT WOULD SEND
ADELEGATION TO LONDON ON 15 APRIL TO PRESENT COPY OF THE FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND TO MEET MPS AND FOREIGN OFFICE OFFICIALS. THE NAMES OF 6 MPS: SIR PAUL BRYAN, RUSSELL JOHNSTON, DAVID ALTON, DAVID STEEL, MICHAEL FOOT, AND ROY JENKINS WERE MENTIONED AS THOSE WHOM THE DELEGATION WOULD MEET. THE DELEGATION WOULD BE LED BY FRANCIS CHAINE, SECRETARY TO THE CLUB. THE EXACT COMPOSITION AND SIZE OF THE DELEGATION WERE NOT CLEARLY
STATED.
4. CHAINE WAS ALSO REPORTED AS SAYING THE CLUE PLANNED TO INFORM PRC ABOUT THE QUOTE WISHES UNQUOTE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE ON THE LEASE ALTHOUGH THERE WERE CONFLICTING PRESS REPORTS ON HOW THEY INTENDED TO CHANNEL THIS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE DELEGATION TO LONDON WAS REPORTEDLY TO QUOTE PRESS FOR SPEEDY BRITISH NEGOTIATIONS WITH CHINA ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE UNQUOTE AND TO QUOTE PUT THE CASE OF HONG KONG WITH THE MANDATE OF 93 PER CENT OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE WHO EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT THEY WOULD PREFER HONG KONG TO BE GOVERNED UNDER BRITISH ADMINISTARTION AFTER 1997 UNQUOTE.
MACLEHOSE MINIMAL HKO SD
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HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE
LONDON