1
RESTRICTED
ཡེ་༽༼
TOP CORx
MKK04012
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
- 8 JUL 1983
GPS 320
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 040850Z JUL 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 946 OF 4 JULY 1983
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY
Action Taken
m
| CM 11/8
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, NEW YORK,
BRUSSELS AND GENEVA
MY TELNO 937: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT
OF A SECOND PHASE OF TALKS
1. THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE VISIT BY THE GOVERNOR AND UNOFFICIALS
TO LONDON CONTINUE TO BE THE LEAD STORY IN VIRTUALLY ALL PAPERS.
A TOTAL OF 17 NEWSPAPERS HAVE NOW COMMENTED EDITORIALLY ON THE ·
ANNOUNCEMENT. OPINION IS UNANIMOUS THAT THE ANNOUNCEMENT IS AN
ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT AND THAT REAL PROGRESS IN THE TALKS MAY
NOW BE EXPECTED. THERE HAS BEEN NO (NO) GENERAL TENDANCY TO INTERPRET
THE ANNOUNCEMENT AS IMPLYING THAT BRITAIN HAD ALREADY MADE A CON-
CESSION ON SOVEREIGNTY. THE SPECULATIVE STORY IN THE LONDON SUNDAY
TELEGRAPH ON 3 JULY SUGGESTING THAT THE PRIME MINISTER HAD AGREED
TO CONSIDER FAVOURABLY A CHINESE PLAN FOR HONG KONG TO BECOME A
SPECIAL TRADE ZONE WITH A HONG KONG FLAG AND A HONG KONG CHINESE
GOVERNOR INEVITABLY ATTRACTED SOME ATTENTION IN THE LOCAL PRESS ON
4 JULY. BUT ALL PAPERS GAVE EQUAL PROMINENCE TO THE GOVERNMENT
SPOKESMAN'S COMMENT THAT THERE WAS NO BASIS IN FACT FOR THE STORY.
2. THE INDEPENDENT MING PAO HAS AGAIN LED THE WAY IN SENSIBLE COMMENT. IN AN EDITORIAL ON 4 JULY, MING PAO SAID THAT THE PRIME
MINISTER WOULD NOT BE SO UNWISE AS TO CONCEDE SOVEREIGNTY OVER
HONG KONG AS READILY AS HAD BEEN REPORTED BY SOME HONG KONG AND
BRITISH NEWSPAPERS. COMMON SENSE INDICATED THAT SOVEREIGNTY WAS
ONE OF THE ONLY THREE CARDS BRITAIN HAD TO PLAY (OF WHICH THE
OTHER TWO WERE THE DESIRE OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO, AND HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC VALUE TO CHINA).
RESTRICTED
/3. THE
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