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4. THE COMMUJIST PRESS HAVE MADE SOME ATTEMPT TO CALM THE ATMOSPHERE AFTER THE HOSTILE AND SARCASTIC EDITORIAL IN THE NEW EVENING POST (MY TELNO 988 - NOT TO ALL). ON 9 JULY, THE NEW EVENING POST SAID THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD MADE A MISTAKE BY SAYING HE REPRESENTED HONG KONG PEOPLE, AND THIS HAD LED TO THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S STATEMENT. THE RIPPLES CAUSED BY THESE REMARKS HAD NOW DIED AWAY. IN AN EDITORIAL ON 11 JULY THE TA KUNG PAO SAID THAT THE CHINESE POSITION ON HONG KONG WAS FIRM AND GENEROUS, AND RESPECTED HISTORY AND REALITY. CHINA CONSIDERED THAT THE REOCOVERY OF SOVEREIGNTY AND PRESERVATION OF HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY WERE A SINGLE OBJECTIVE. CHINA'S SELF RULE PROPOSITION WAS NOT AN INTERIM MEASURE BUT A WELL THOUGHT OUT PLAN FORMULATED AFTER HEARING VIEWS EXPRESSED BY ALL PARTIES CONCERNED. CHINA HAD ADOPTED A POSITIVE ATTITUDE, BRITAIN SHOULD RESPOND SO THAT A SETTLEMENT COULD BE REACHED WHICH WOULD BRING HONOUR TO BOTH SIDES. MRS THATCHER HAD EXPERIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING OF CHINESE AFFAIRS AND WOULD SURELY MAKE A WISE DECISION WHICH WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT OF SINO/BRITISH FRIENDSHIP. 5. SOME ATTENTION HAS BEEN PAID TO AN ARTICLE IN A LEFT WING MONTHLY MAGAZINE, QUOTE THE MIRROR UNQUOTE, SUGGESTING THAT DENG XIAOPING HAD TOLD THE HONG KONG AND MACAU DELEGATES TO THE CPPCC/NPC THAT THERE WOULD BE NO CHANGE IN HONG KONG'S ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM FOR 50 YEARS AFTER 1997. THE COVERAGE OF THIS STORY IN SOME PAPERS GIVES THE IMPRESSION THAT DENG MIGHT HAVE BEEN CONTEMPLATING A CONTINUATION OF BRITISH ADMINISTRATION FOR THAT TIME. THE ARTICLE IN THE MIRROR CONTAINS NO (NO) JUSTIFICATION FOR SUCH A CONCLUSION: IT REPORTS THE DELEGATES AS HAVING ASKED FOR GUARANTEES THAT THERE WOULD BE NO CHANGE TO THE QUOTE SYSTEMS UNQUOTE IN HONG KONG FOR AT LEAST 50 YEARS AND AS SURMISING THAT THIS WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. HADDON-CAVE
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