RESTRICTED
2. THERE HAVE SO FAR BEEN ONLY TWO EDITORIAL COMMENTS. THE COMMUNIST TA KUNG PAO DESCRIBED MR MOYLE'S APPROACH AS PRAGMATIC AND SENSIBLE AND SAID THAT FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS WOULD ONLY BE POSSIBLE IF THERE WAS AN EARLY SOLUTION TO THE 1997 PROBLEM. THE FINANCIAL DAILY (INDEPENDENT) DREW ATTENTION TO MR MOYLE'S POSITION AS DEPUTY SPOKESIAN ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS FOR THE LABOUR PARTY AND SAID THAT HIS REMARKS SHOULD CARRY WEIGHT. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT POINT IN MR HOYLE'S REMARKS WAS THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF CLOSE ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA SHOULD ENABLE DISPUTES OVER POLITICS, SOVEREIGNTY AND THE TREATIES GOVERNING HONG KONG TO BE FORGOTTEN. THIS WOULD PUT DIPLOMATIC TALKS ON THE RIGHT TRACK FOR A COMPROMISE SOLUTION.
ENDS
YOUDE
YUTURE OF TONG KONG
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SIR J BULLARD
MR GIFFARD
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MR ROBERTS NEWS D
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