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TELEGRAM NUMBER 1284 OF 15 AUGUST
TOP COPY
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, WASHINGTON (FOR MK GOVT REP), CG NEW YORK (FOR HK GOVT BRUSSELS( FOR HK GOVT REP), UKNIS GENEVA (FOR HK GOVT REP)
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE
MKK040/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
་༦་
AUG 1983
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA 1. THE MAIN STORY OVER THE WEEKEND APPEARED AS AN EXBLUSIVE
REPORT' IN THE SING PAU (INDEPENDENT) WHICH CLAIMED THAT AN
(UNNAMED) SENIOR OFFICIAL OF NONA HAD TOLD LOCAL LEFT-WING
(107)
REGISTRY
Action, Taken
SOA LIS
INTELLECTUALS THAT CHINA WOULD DEFINITELY RECOVER THE WHOLE OF HONG All he coveredd
#
KONG IN JULY 1997. THE DATE WOULD NOT BE BROUGHT FORWARD OR PUT
BACK **UNLESS SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES AROSE''. THEREAFTER, THERE
WOULD BE NO **THREE-LEGGED STOOL' ADMINISTRATION JOINTLY BY THE
CHINESE, BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS. THE TERRITORY'S FUTURE GOVERNOR WOULD NOT BE BRITISH BUT WOULD BE APPOINTED BY
PEKING. THE OFFICIAL WAS ALSO QUOTED AS HAVING SAID THAT HONG
KONG'S RESERVES SHOULD BE HANDED BACK TO THE HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT.
In what prus
op
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2. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE HONG KONG STANDARD REPRODUCED SING PAU'S
REPORT ON MONDAY. IT MADE THE SAME POINTS BUT ADDED ITS OWN GLOSS
ON THE THREE-LEGGED STOOL' OR JOINT ADMINISTRATION BY CHINA,
SRITAIN AND HONG KONG BY ATTRIBUTING THE PROPOSAL TO LORD BELSTEAD.
3. THE THREE MAIN COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERS (TA KUNG PAO, WEN WET PO
AND THE NEW EVENING POST) HAVE ALL PUBLISHED EDITORIALS IN THE
PAST FEW DAYS WHICH INDICATE A STEPPING UP OF THE PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN. APART FROM ASSERTING THAT SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMINISTRATION
ARE INSEPARABLE, THE OTHER THEMES OF THESE EDITORIALS HAVE BEEN:
(A) BRITISH COLONIAL RULE IN HONG KONG MUST BE ENDED.
(B) HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY IS A RESULT OF MANY FACTORS, BUT
THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA IS THE KEY TO FUTURE PROSPERITY.
(C) CASTING DOUBTS ON WHETHER BRITAIN HAS ADMINISTERED HONG KONG
IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE.
EXAMPLE, THE NEW EVEING POST SAID "IT IS UNREALISTIC TO HOPE
THAT THE TEMPORARY ADMINISTRATIVE RIGHT WHICH HAD BEEN ILLEGALLY
OBTAINED BY FORCE, CAN BE LEGALLY EXTENDED THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS'',
4. THE COMMUNIST PRESS AND THE INDEPENDENT PRESS HAVE CONTINUED
TO ARGUE ABOUT PUBLIC OPINION. THE TA KUNG PAO REPORTED A RECENT
MEETING OF THE COMMUNIST CONTROLLED MOTOR TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION
(MTWU) WHICH HAD ENDORSED THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION, AND
SAID THAT SUCH EXPRESSIONS OF PUBLIC OPINION CALLED INTO QUESTION
THE ABILITY OF GOVERNMENT APPOINTED UMELCO MEMBERS ACCURATELY TO
REFLECT PUBLIC OPINION. THE PAPER CALLED FOR MORE GENUINE''
EXPRESSIONS OF OPINION.
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