TOP COPY
(20
GR 250
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 280940Z MAY 83
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 714 OF 20 MAY
INFO ROUTINE PEKING
RESTRICTED
MKK040|1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 3 1 MAY 1983
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
REGISAY
MY TELNO 680 : NCNA APPOINTMENTS
Action Taken
7
|CH 31|5
pa okoli
1. THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF XU JIANTUN'S APPOINTMENT AS NCNA DIRECTOR IS GIVEN WIDE COVERAGE IN TODAY'S ENGLISH AND CHINESE LANGUAGE PRESS. MOST PAPERS RELY ON A REUTERS DESPATCH OF 19 MAY WHICH FOCUSSED ON XU'S SENIORITY, SAID TO REFLECT THE INCREASINGLY SENSITIVE POSITION OF HONG KONG''. THE REUTER'S REPORT ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE FACT THAT XU WAS NOT FROM GUANGDONG INDICATED PEKING'S WISH TO BECOME MORE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE RUNNING OF HONG KONG.
2. THERE HAS SO FAR BEEN LITTLE EDITORIAL COMMENT. THE FINANCIAL
DAILY SAID THAT XU'S PRIMARY TASK WOULD BE TO CONSOLIDATE THE
COMMUNIST ORGA INSATIONS IN HONG KONG WHILST AVOIDING ULTRA- LEFTIST OR OTHER RADICAL ACTION. THE PAPER ADDED THAT LI CHUWEN (FORMER DIRECTOR, SHANGHAI FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICE) WOULD, AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NCNA, BE CULTIVATING HONG KONG'S SHANGAINESE COMMUNITY. SINCE NEITHER XU NOR LI HAD SUFFICIENT WORKING EXPERIENCE OF HONG KONG OR MACAU, NCNA WOULD NEED TO RETAIN ITS LOCALLY EXPERIENCED STAFF.
3. COMMENTING ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF XU'S APPOINTMENT FOR THE TALKS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, THE EXPRESS SAID THAT ALTHOUGH XU WOULD BE CONTRIBUTING HIS VIEWS, HE WOULD TAKE NO ACTIVE PART IN THE TALKS THEMSELVES. XU'S ROLE WOULD BE PRIMARILY ONE OF BOOSTING LOCAL CONFIDENCE IN PEKING'S PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE, AND OF PAVING THE WAY FOR THE EVOLUTION OF HONG KONG AS A
SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION.
YOUDE
LIMITED
HK + GD
FED
PUSD
NEWS D
PS
PS/LORD BELSTEAD
PS/PUS
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
COPIES TO:
MR MARTIN
ASSESSMENTS STAFF
CABINET OFFICE
HONG KONG GOVT. OFFICE, LONDON
THIS TALEGRAM
WAS NOT
ADVANCED
RESTRICTED