GPS 275
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 090445Z JUL 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
RESTRICTED
TELEGRAM NUMBER 982 OF 9 JULY 1983
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TOP COPY
AND INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, GENEVAL ANDED RUSSEL STAY NO
(228)
MICK040/2
12 JUL 1983
FUTURE OF HONG KONG:PRESS COVERAGE
DESK OPHOL INDEX
PA
c1118:
1. ALL FOUR COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERS ON 9 JULY USED FOR THEIR FRONT
PAGE LEAD AN NCNA DESPATCH QUOTING A CHINESE MFA SPOKESMAN AS
SAYING THAT THE GOVERNOR WOULD ATTEND THE TALKS AS A MEMBER OF
THE BRITISH DELEGATION AND COULD ONLY REPRESENT THE BRITISH
GOVERNMENT IN THE TALKS. THE DESPATCH ALSO RECEIVED WIDESPREAD
COVERAGE IN THE INDEPENDENT AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS.
2. AN EDITORIAL IN THE WEN WEI PO (COMMUNIST) SAID THAT THE
GOVERNOR WAS APPOINTED BY THE QUEEN AND THAT BRITISH INTERESTS
WERE NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME AS HONG KONG'S. THE EDITORIAL
RECALLED STATEMENTS BY THE FCO AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
SPOKESMAN AS WELL AS THE CHINESE MFA SAYING THAT THE GOVERNOR
WOULD ATTEND AS A MEMBER OF THE BRITISH TEAM. AS HONG KONG HAD
ALWAYS BEEN CHINESE TERRITORY AND THE MAJORITY OF ITS INHABITANTS
WERE OF CHINESE RACE, HONG KONG'S WISHES AND INTERESTS WERE
OBVIOUSLY TO BE REPRESENTED BY CHINA AND NOT BRITAIN. CHINA HAD
BEEN PAYING CAREFUL ATTENTION TO THE VIEWS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE
SINCE THE ISSUE OF THE FUTURE HAD BEEN RAISED. A COMMENTARY IN
THE TA KUNG PAO (COMMUNIST) SAID THAT THE GOVERNOR COULD ONLY
BE DESCRIBED AS THE HIGHEST BRITISH OFFICIAL POSTED TO HONG KONG
AND COULD NOT BE SAID TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IN
THE TALKS ON THE TERRITORY'S FUTURE.
3. THE ONLY EDITORIAL COMMENT OF ANY NOTE IN THE INDEPENDENT
PRESS SO FAR WAS IN THE MING PAO WHICH SAID THAT DESPITE PEKING'S
ASSERTIONS THAT HONG KONG WAS CHINESE TERRITORY, CHINA HAD NEVER DENIED THE FACT THAT HONG KONG WAS STILL UNDER BRITISH RULE AND
THAT THE GOVERNOR WAS HEAD OF THE ADMINISTRATION. NO GOVERNMENT
COULD EXPECT 100 PERCENT SUPPORT FROM ITS PEOPLE, BUT THE GOVERNOR WOULD LOOK AFTER THE INTERESTS AND WISHES OF LOCAL PEOPLE
IN THE NEGOTIATIONS. TOO MUCH ATTENTION SHOULD NOT (NOT) BE PAID TO TRIVIAL PROBLEMS SO THAT A SETTLEMENT ACCEPTABLE TO ALL PARTIES
COULD BE FOUND. YOUDE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
HD/PLANNING STAFF
HD/PUSD
PS
PS/LADY YOUNG
PS/R LUCE
PS/PUS
SIR J BULLARD
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
MR WRIGHT
COPIES TO:
SIR I SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER
MR BURROWS
MR MARTIN
THIS TELEGRAM MR FLOWER
WAS NOT ADVANCED
MR COLES
LEGAL ADVISERS
ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFICE
PUSD
NO 10 DOWNING ST
SIR A PARSONS
MR WALKER,
11
RESEARCH DEPT (90995)—
MR ROBERTS NEWS D
RESTRICTED