RESTRICTED
CREDIBLE). THE NEW EVENING POST DESCRIBED HIS REMARKS AS NONSENSE AND SAID THAT HE WAS TOTALLY IGNORANT OF THE HONG KONG QUESTION. THE TA KUNG PAO SAID THAT RESTORATION OF SOVEREIGNTY WAS A SACRED MISSION AND THAT IT WOULD BE ABSURD TO HAND ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL BACK TO THE COUNTRY FROM WHICH SOVEREIGNTY HAD BEEN RECOVERED. THE TONE OF THE WEN WEI PO'S COMMENT WAS SLIGHTLY MILDER: IT CRITICISED WRIGGLESWORTH FOR BRUSHING ASIDE CHINA'S AUTONOMY PROPOSALS WITHOUT CONSIDERING THEM PROPERLY AND EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT HIS REMARKS REFLECTED HIS PERSONAL VIEWS AND NOT THOSE OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
4. THE INDEPENDENT PRESS HAVE BEEN HITTING BACK AT EARLIER ATTACKS IN THE COMMUNIST PRESS ON OPINIONS WHICH SOUGHT TO CHALLENGE THE CHINESE PLAN. THE HONG KONG DAILY NEWS SAID THAT THE LEFT WING NEWSPAPERS SOUNDED LIKE THE GANG OF FOUR. IT WAS NOT TRUE THAT ENTRUSTING THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG TO BRITAIN WOULD BE A NATIONAL DISGRACE FOR CHINA. THE FINANCIAL DAILY SAID THAT CHINA'S OPEN DOOR POLICIES OF RECENT YEARS HAD NOT BEEN SUFFICIENT TO MAKE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG FORGET BAD MEMORIES OF EARLIER YEARS. THE EXPRESS (RIGHT WING) SAID A BRITISH CONCESSION ON SOVEREIGNTY IN RETURN FOR CONTINUING BRITISH ADMINISTRATION WAS THE BEST POSSIBLE
SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
YOUDE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LIMITED
HD HKD
HD/FED
ED/PLANNING STAFF HD/PUSD
PS
PS/LORD BELSTEAD PS/PUS
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
SIR J BULLARD
PS/MR HURD
2
COPIES TO
SIR I SINCLAIR
MR ROBERTS
LEGAL ADVISER
NEWS D
MR COLES
MR MARTIN
RESTRICTED
NO 10 DOWNING STREET
ASSESSMENTS STAFF
CABINET OFFICE
THIS TELEGRAM
WAS NOT ADVANCED
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