MKK 04012
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
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8 JUL 1983
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GPS 450
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FM HONG KONG 060705Z JUL 83
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 963 OF 6 JULY 1983
CER
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, GENEVA AND BRUSSELS
„MIPT: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE
1. THE CHINESE LANGUAGE EXPRESS (RIGHT WING) CARRIED AN QUOTE
EXCLUSIVE UNQUOTE REPORT ON 5 JULY QUOTING ONE OF THE HONG KONG
DELEGATES TO THE CPPCC, XU SIMIN, AS SAYING THAT DENG XIAOP ING HAD GIVEN DETAILS OF QUOTE THE THREE STAGES ÚNQUOTE IN WHICH THE
TALKS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE WERE TO BE CONDUCTED. THESE WERE:
A) RECOVERY OF SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG BY 1997.
B) HOW HONG KONG WAS TO BE ADMINISTERED AFTER SOVEREIGNTY REVERTED
TO CHINA.
C) HOW THE TRANSITION PERIOD TO 1997 WAS TO BE MANAGED.
ACCORDING TO XU, DENG ALSO EXPLAINED IN MORE DETAIL ZHAO ZIYANG'S
REFERENCE TO RECOVERY OF SOVEREIGNTY QUOTE AT THE APPROPRIATE
TIME UNQUOTE IN HIS REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT TO THE
NPC. THIS MEAN TAKING HONG KONG BACK IN 1997 IF THE TERRITORY'S
STABILITY AND PROSPERITY COULD BE MAINTAINED UNTIL THEN OR TAKING
IT BACK BEFORE THEN IF THE SITUATION GOT OUT OF HAND.
2. THE SAME REPORT QUOTED XU AS SAYING THAT THE LATE LIAO CHENGZHI
HAD TOLD HIM THAT THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, ORD MACLEHOSE,
HAD SUGGESTED TO LIAO WHEN LIAO PASSED THROUGH HONG KONG IN 1980
AFTER HEART SURGERY IN THE UNITED STATES, THAT CHINA SHOULD SELL
SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG TO BRITAIN FOR US DOLLARS 4 BILLION.
LIAO HAD TURNED THE OFFER DOWN.
REGISTRY Action Taken
CH1118
See (!!!)
:
3. THE NEW EVENING POST (COMMUNIST), WHICH GENERALLY PUBLISHED
THE MOST EXTREME COMMENT DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PROPAGANDA
CAMPAIGN, CARRIED AN EDITORIAL ON 4 JULY UNDER THE HEADING QUOTE
CO-OPERATION IS THE THEME OF THE SINO/BRITISH TALKS UNQUOTE.
THE EDITORIAL PRAISED A STATEMENT ISSUED BY QUOTE MEETING POINT
UNQUOTE, AN INTELLECTUALS PRESSURE GROUP WHICH SAID THAT UNDER
CERTAIN CONDITIONS SELF GOVERNMENT FOR HONG KONG WAS FEASIBLE.
(THE CONDITIONS WERE THAT THERE SHOULD BE GREATER DEMOCRACY:
THAT CHINA SHOULD GIVE CONCRETE GUARANTEES ON THE PRESERVATION
OF HONG KONG SYSTEMS: AND THAT BRITAIN AND CHINA SHOULD CO-OPERATE
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