GRS 260
RESTRICTED
FROM PEKING 16065OZ MAR 23
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
RESTRICTED
TELEGRAM NUMBER 239 OF 16/3/83
REPEATED FOR FOR INFO TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TOP COPY
HKK 0401
ник
...
OW NO. 51
FUTURE OF HONG KONG:
ZHAO ZIYANG
SK
1^7 MAR 1983
my AF
Apreb
1. NCNA FOREIGN AGENCIES AND PRESS BULLETIN OF 15 MARCH CONTAINED A UPI REPORT OF A CALL BY RANALD MCDONALD, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE PARENT COMPANY OF THE MELBOURNE AGE, ON
ZHAO ZIYANG. THE REPORT CLAIMED THAT ZHAO HAD SAID THAT CHINA WOULD TAKE OVER HONG KONG IN 1997.
2. WE HAVE NOW LISTENED TO A TAPE RECORDING OF THE INTERVIEW. ZHAO IN FACT SAID ONLY THAT THE CHINESE POSITION ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG WAS WELL KNOWN: WHEN CONDITIONS WERE RIPE, CHINA WOULD RECOVER SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE ENTIRE AREA OF HONG KONG. AT THE SAME TIME, CHINA WOULD ADOPT FLEXIBLE POLICIES TO MAINTAIN THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG. THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS AND THE WAY OF LIFE IN HONG KONG WOULD REMAIN UNCHAGED. THE INTERESTS OF INVESTORS, INCLUDING FOREIGN INVESTORS, WOULD BE PRESERVED.
3. ZHAO ALSO SAID THAT CURRENT CONCERNS IN HONG KONG WERE EXAGGERATED. THERE HAD BEEN SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN HONG KONG BUT MUCH OF THIS HAD BEEN DUE TO THE WORLDWIDE ECONOMIC CRISIS. IN FACT THERE HAD BEEN AN INCREASE OF INCOMING INVESTMENT TO HONG KONG IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1982.
COMMENT
4. ZHAO'S LINE WAS UNREMARKABLE. HE DID NOT EVEN MENTION THE 1997 DATE. EVEN IN SPITE OF THE UP! DISTORTION, HIS STATEMENT
HAS AROUNSED LITTLE INTEREST AMONG THE FOREIGN
CORRESPONDENTS HERE. CRADOCK
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LIMITED
EID/EKGD HD/FED
HD/PLANNING STAFF
HD/PUSD
PS
PS/MR HURD
PS/LORD BELSTEAD
PS/PUS
SIR J BULLARD
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
COPIES TO
SIR I SINCLAIR
MR ROBERTS
LEGAL ADVISER
NEWS D
MR COLES
MR MARTIN
RESTRICTED
NO 10 DOWNING STREET
ASSESSMENTS STAFF
CABINET OFFICE
193