RESTRICTED
GPS 450
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FM HONG KONG 200935Z JUL 83
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1337 OF 20 JULY 1983
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
AND PEKING
NCNA RECEPTION IN HONOUR OF XU JIA-TUN
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HKK040/1
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1. NCNA GAVE A RECEPTION IN HONOUR OF XU JIA-TUN (THE NEWLY
APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF NCNA HONG KONG) ON 19 JULY. THE RECEPTION
WAS COMPARABLE TO THAT GIVEN EACH YEAR ON THE CHINESE NATIONAL
DAY. IN ADDITION TO COMMUNITY LEADERS, BUSINESSMEN, THE LEADING
PRO-CHINA ELEMENTS IN HONG KONG AND THE CONSULAR CORPS, A
NUMBER OF SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ATTENDED. THE CHIEF
SECRETARY WOULD HAVE BEEN PRESENT HAD HE NOT FALLEN ILL.
2. XU MADE A SHORT SPEECH. HE THANKS QUOTE HONG KONG COMPATRIOTS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, FRIENDLY PERSONAGES OF VARIOUS COUNTRIES
IN HONG KONG THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES UNQUOTE FOR THEIR HELP. HE
HOPED THAT THIS RELATIONSHIP OF FRIENDSHIP AND CO-OPERATION WOULD BE FURTHER ENHANCED IN YEARS TO COME AND WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAUSE OF CHINA'S UNIFICATION AND MODERNISATION AS WELL AS TO THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG. IN THE TALKS ON HONG
KONG'S FUTURE HE SAID QUOTE AT PRESENT, THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS ARE HOLDING TALKS ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG. I BELIEVE THROUGH THE JOINT EFFORTS ON BOTH SIDES A FAIR AND REASONABLE SOLUTION WILL CERTAINLY BE WORKED OUT. THE FUTURE OF
HONG KONG WILL BE VERY BRIGHT. UNQUOTE
3. THE RECEPTION AND XU'S REMARKS WERE FRONT PAGE NEWS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS, IN A NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS AND IN THE COMMUNIST PRESS ON 20 JULY. MOST PAPERS HIGHLIGHTED XU'S ASSERTION THAT THE OUTCOME OF THE TALKS WOULD BE FAIR AND REASONABLE. SOME PAPERS ALSO REPORTED REMARKS MADE BY NONA'S SECOND DIRECTOR LI JUSHENG, WHO WAS ALSO PRESENT AT THE RECEPTION AND WHO WAS PURSUED BY REPORTERS FOR MOST OF THE EVENING. LI REPORTEDLY SAID THAT THE SECOND PHASE OF THE TALKS WOULD NOT (NOT)
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