CONFIDENTIAL
11
Flight no answer to 1997 issue says architect: Leading HK architect, Mr. Eric Cumine, told the Rotary Club of Kowloon that leaving HK was not the way to deal with the problem of 1997; people should have more confidence in HK's future.
14.
OTHER ITEMS:
Governor must be Chinese after 1997: The SCMP reported on 8 January that
Mr. Li Chaozhu, Minister-Counsellor for Political Affairs at the US embassy, had told AP
in Washington the future governor or mayor of HK must be a Chinese citizen once sovereignty over HK was restored to the Chinese. He also was reported saying the cession of HK to Great Britain in 1841 was the first humiliation that China suffered. HK and Taiwan must
be restored to Chinese sovereignty; once that happened nothing else would change in the political or economic systems.
Chinese delegation here: A 16-member delegation of the All China Federation of
Trade Unions, headed by Chinese economist, Mr. Hu Ziang, arrived in HK on 10 January for a visit at the invitation of CMA, FHKI and Chinese Chamber of Commerce. In an interview with Ta Kung Pao, the deputy leader of the group, Mr. Liu Nianzhi, said China's economy in the 90's would have a completely new vista and there would not be much difference in the living standards between people in China and HK towards 1997. On the lease issue, he said, for national dignity, China must regain sovereignty over HK. He called on young people in HK to have faith in China and to be proud of being Chinese. It was HK people who made what HK was today. As long as they could keep up their faith, they could make HK a better place to live in.
NT leaders visit China: Nine NT leaders headed by Heung Yee Kuk chairman,
Mr. Lau Wong-fat, are visting Beijing between 10-18 January. Members of the delegation include Mr. Charles Yeung, Mr. Cheung Yan-lung, Mr. Chan Yat-sun and Mr. Stephen Wong. Commenting on this, the left-wing HK Commercial Daily said there had been a steady flow of local groups going north to air their views on HK's future and this showed that HK people were not denied the right to speak up on their own future.
Meeting of returned overseas Chinese ends: The national meeting to commend the
outstanding work of overseas Chinese in China ended in Beijing on 5 January. Among the resolutions adopted, one called on returned overseas Chinese to serve as a bridge in promoting the unification of China by maintaining close contacts with their friends and relatives in HK, Macau, Taiwan and other countries. They should also try to publicise the Chinese Government's and communist party's policy in this area. This was reported by both Xinhua News Agency and China News Service and was given prominence in the left-wing press.
Mr. Hu Yaobang speaks of capitalist class: In an article published in the latest issue
of the Red Flag, the Chinese Communist Party General Secretary, Mr. Hu Yaobang, said the purge against extreme leftists would continue. But, attention must be paid to and something must be done against the liberalisation of the capitalist class. Excerpts of his statement were
CONFIDENTIAL