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RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 130715Z JUL 83
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 352 OF 13 JULY
TOP
INFO IMMEDIATE FCO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
Pam 27 17. (150
рат
FUTURE OF HONG KONG : PRESS COVERAGE OF THE TALKS ON 13 JULY
2*17
NICKOLO/...
19 JUL 1983
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INDEX
1. REPORTS ON THE TALKS FROM PEKING CONTINUE TO DOMINATE FRONT PAGES OF VIRTUALLY ALL HONG KONG NEWSPAPERS. ON 13 JULY, ALL PAPERS REPORTED THAT THE FIRST SESSION HAD LASTED TWO HOURS AS
WELL AS THE PRESS BRIEFING GIVEN BY QI HUAIYUAN (YOUR TELNO 71), EMPHASISING IN PARTICULAR THE DENIAL OF THE ASIA WEEK STORY AND THE
FULL DETAILS OF THE CHINESE NEGOTIATING TEAM.
2. THERE HAS BEEN A FURTHER ROUND OF EDITORIAL COMMENT, MOST OF
WHICH IS SPECULATION ABOUT THE SUBJECTS DICUSSED DURING THE FIRST
SESSION AND THE PROGRESS WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN MADE. THE MOOD OF SUCH
COMMENTS REMAINS GENERALLY OPTIMISTIC THAT A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION
WILL BE REACHED. THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL (INDEPENDENT) DESCRIBED THE
CHINESE TEAM AS QUOTE APPROPRIATE UNQUOTE. PICKING UP THE DENIAL OF
THE ASIA WEEK REPORT, THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL COMMENTED THAT CHINA'S CONSITUTION, HOWEVER DRAFTED, WAS NOT THE BEST GUARANTEE AGAINST
CHANGE IN HONG KONG BECAUSE OF THE MANY CHANGES WHICH HAD OCCURRED IN CHINA AND THE MANY CONSTITUTIONS WHICH CHINA HAD HAD IN RECENT
YEARS. THE BEST ASSURANCE WOULD BE A LEGAL DOCUMENT AGREED BETWEEN
CHINA AND BRITAIN WHICH CHINA COULD NOT CHANGE UNILATERALLY. IT
WAS DOUBTFUL WHETHER CHINA WOULD BE ABLE TO AGREE TO THIS.
3. THE MING PAO SAID THAT THE OUTFLOW OF TALENT FROM HONG KONG AND
THE RELUCTANCE OF BUSINESSMEN TO MAKE NEW INVESTMENTS WERE
WORRYING. JOINT HONG KONG/CHINA PROJECTS WERE NEEDED TO RESTORE
CONFIDENCE AND ENTHUSIASM. THE PRESENCE OF A LEGAL EXPERT, SHAO TIANREN, INDICATED THAT CLOSE ATTENTION WOULD BE PAID TO LEGAL MATTERS. ACCORDING TO THE MING PAO, SHAO HAD BEEN A MEMBER OF THE CHINESE DELEGATION WHICH HAD SETTLED CHINA'S TERRITORIAL DISPUTE
WITH BURMA.
4. THE WEN WEI PO (COMMUNIST) URGED LOCAL CORRESPONDENTS TO CEASE PUBLISHING INACCURATE AND SPECULATE REPORTS ON THE TALKS AND GENERALLY TO SHOW GREATER RESTRAINT. THE NEW EVENING POST (COMMUNIST) IN ITS EDITORIAL ON 12 JULY ALSO CALLED FOR LESS SPECULATIVE REPORTING. SINCE THE TALKS WERE CONFIDENTIAL IT WAS POINTLESS TO MAKE WILD GUESSES. THE OPENING OF THE SECOND PHASE WAS AN ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT. THE HONG KONG PROBLEM INCLUDED THE QUESTION OF RECOVERY OF SOVEREIGNTY, THE HANDING OVER OF ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL AND THE PLANNING OF THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD. THESE COMPLEX ISSUES COULD BE RESOLVED THROUGH A STEP BY STEP APPROACH AND THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE QUOTE OUTSTANDING DIPLOMATS UNQUOTE WHO WERE IN CHARGE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS. THE TIN TIN DAILY NEWS (PRO-CHINA) SUGGESTED THAT CHINA HAD DRAWN UP A COMPLETE SET OF PLANS FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE WHICH WOULD ENSURE THAT HONG KONG WOULD NO LONGER BE DÖMINATED BY QUOTE CAPITALIST CONSORTIA UNQUOTE.
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