8
GR 600
SECRET
DESKBY 23083OZ
FM HONG KONG 230552Z AUG 82
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 905 OF 23 AUGUST
SECRET
COP COPY
FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR CLIFT (HKGD)
M.L.F.T.
FOLLOWING ARE COMMENTS ON THE DISCUSSIONS IN PEKING
HICK 040/3.
PAVED IN KILO #116)
23 AUC 282
서
A649
See
(12
PARAS 33 37 SEEM TO ME THE WEAKEST PART OF THE PAPER. THEY
DO NOT SET OUT BLUNTLY ENOUGH WHAT THE P.M. WILL BE FACED WITH
IN PEKING: NOR THE DIFFICULTY OF THE TALKS THERE. THE PASSAGES ON
THE CHINESE POSITION GENERALISE RATHER THAN STATE SPECIFICALLY
WHAT WE KNOW.
2. I SUGGEST THAT PARA 33 SHOULD READ : ALL THE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS
THAT THE PRC LEADERS WILL ASSERT THAT
A) THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG IS CHINESE TERRITORY. THIS IS TO THEM
A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE AND CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY MUST BE
**RECOVERED''.
B) SUBJECT TO THIS, THEY WISH TO PRESERVE THE PROSPEPITY AND
STABILITY OF HONG KONG.
C) THEIR PRESENT THINKING IS THAT THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED BY MAKING
HONG KONG A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION' OF CHINA LARGELY
RUN BY HONG KONG CHINESE UNDER A REGIME WHICH WOULD PRESERVE THE
CAPITALIST SYSTEM, EXISTING LAW ETC: AND SOME BRITISH CIVIL
SERVANTS COULD REMAIN TO HELP THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATION. BUT
BRITISH JURISDICTION OVER HONG KONG WOULD CEASE**
3. PARA 34 MIGHT READ
''THE PRO LEADERS WILL PROBABLY INDICATE THAT THEY EXPECT THIS TO
HAPPEN IN 1997: AND ARE NOT SEEKING ANY IMMEDIATE RADICAL CHANGE.
BUT THEY HAVE NOT RULED OUT AN EARLIER DATE. MOREOVER THEIR CONCEPT
OF TALKS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE MAY WELL BE DIRECTED TO THE QUESTION
OF HOW A SMOOTH TRANSITION TO HONG KONG'S NEW STATUS CAN BE
ARRANGED
·
4. PARA 36 SHOULD THEN READ
''BUT THE P.M. WILL THEN NEED TO STRESS THAT THE KEY TO THE
MAINTENANCE OF CONFIDENCE AMONG INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC
INVESTORS, ON WHICH THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF THE TERRITORY
DEPEND LIES IN THE BRITISH CONNECTION. AN ASSERTION THAT THE
''SYSTEMS'' WILL BE PRESERVED WILL NOT BE ENOUGH, AT LEAST UNTIL
THE CHINESE HAVE BUILT UP A LONG TRACK RECORD OF CONSISTENCY. ANY
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT NOW OF THE CHINESE PLAN WOULD SERIOUSLY AND
IMMEDIATELY UNDERMINE CONFIDENCE. NEITHER HMG NOR THE CHINESE
GOVERNMENT WANT THIS".
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15.