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CONFIDENTIAL
GR 400
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 140357Z MAY 83
TO ROUTINE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 688 OF 14 MAY
INFO PEKING
MY TELNO 676 FUTURE OF HONG KONG : VISITS TO PEKING
LIKKO40||
VKIVID IN RADOVAŤ NO.
18 MAY 1983
o: laken
M CM3115
MEMBERS OF THE NT INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL ASSOCIATION DELEGATION HAVE NOW GIVEN US AN ACCOUNT OF THEIR INTERVIEW WITH LIAO CHENGZHI. THIS INTERVIEW WAS ALSO ATTENDED BY A KWUN TONG COMMERCIAL DELEGATION AND A NUMBER OF OTHER HONG KONG PERSONALITIES INCLUDING MRS KITTY SIU.
2. THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE NT DELEGATION, WHICH HAD A LEFT WING BIAS, BUT INCLUDED UNCOMMITTED DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS, OPENED BY SUBMITTING A MEMORANDUM SUGGESTING THAT CHINA SHOULD FORCE THE ISSUE WITH THE UK SO AS TO CLARIFY HONG KONG'S FUTURE. IT WAS IMPLIED THAT THE UK HAD PROCRASTINATED ON THE ISSUE OF SOVEREIGNTY. UNCERTAINTY WAS THEREFORE AFFECTING CONFIDENCE AND PREVENTING INVESTMENT. (A COPY OF THIS MEMORANDUM FOLLOWS BY BAG).
3. IN ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE, LIAO RESPONDED ALONG MORE OR LESS STANDARD LINES (SOVEREIGNTY BUT NOT BEFORE 1997, THE PRC FLAG WOULD THEN FLY OVER HONG KONG, TRANSITION TO START NOW, HONG KONG TO BE ADMISTERED BY HONG KONG PEOPLE, BUT AS A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION UNDER SIMILAR POLICIES TO THOSE WHICH WOULD APPLY TO MACAU AND TAIWAN, PROPERTY RIGHTS TO BE RESPECTED, THE HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI AND CHARTERED BANKS TO BE LEFT UNTOUCHED, THE HONG KONG DOLLAR TO BE MAINTAINED SEMI COLON THE ''THREE-LEGGED STOOL' THEORY WAS INVALID AND THE GOVERNOR WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IN THE NEGOTIATIONS). HE ADDED THAT IT WOULD BE UP TO HONG KONG PEOPLE TO DECIDE WHETHER PREMIA SHOULD BE PAID FOR LAND TENURE AND THAT THE QUESTION OF PASSPORTS FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE WAS A DETAILED ISSUE WHICH WOULD BE RESOLVED IN DUE COURSE. HE SAID THAT ALL THE DETAILS REGARDING THE RESTORATION OF SOVEREIGNTY WOULD BE ANNOUNCED IN TWO YEARS TIME.
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