CONFIDENTIAL
TOP CAP
MKKO 40/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY'NO. S
27 JUN 1983
DESK OF CU INDEX
PA
REG:
Action
и
сни
97
GR 500
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 270640Z JUN 83
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 873 OF 27 JUNE
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, WASHINGTON (FOR HK GOVT REP), UKMIS GENEVA (FOR HK GOVT REP), CG NEW YORK (FOR HK GOVT REP), BRUSSELS (FOR HK GOVT REP)
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE
MOST HONG KONG AND MACAU DELEGATES TO THE NPC AND CPPCC RETURNED TO HONG KONG ON 26 JUNE. THE REMARKS THEY MADE TO THE PRESS ON THE IR ARRIVAL AT KAI TAK AIRPORT ATTRACTED PROMINENT AND WIDESPREAD COVERAGE IN THE PRESS AND ON THE RADIO AND TELEVISION. PARTICULAR PROMINENCE WAS GIVEN TO REMARKS BY T.K. ANN (INDUSTRIALIST AND FORMER EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBER), WHO IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT UNDER CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY, HONG KONG WOULD BE ABLE TO RETAIN MOST OF ITS PRESENT LEGAL SYSTEM ALTHOUGH THERE MIGHT BE MINOR CHANGES. A MEMBER OF THE LOCAL LEFT-WING HIERARCHY, LI PING CHING, TOLD REPORTERS THAT CHINA WISHED TO CONCLUDE AN AGREEMENT WITH BRITAIN WITHIN TWO YEARS FROM THE START OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, BUT THAT IF NO PROBRESS HAD BEEN MADE BY THE END OF 1984 CHINA WOULD ANNOUNCE ITS OWN PLANS. LI'S REMARKS WERE WIDELY REPORTED IN THE INDEPENDENT CHINESE LANGUAGE AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS, MANY OF WHOM COMMENTED THAT HE HAD PROVIDED CONFIRMATION OF THE NEWSWEEK STORY (MY TELS NOS 826 AND 837). LI'S REMARKS WERE NOT (NOT) HOWEVER REPORTED IN THE COMMUNIST PRESS, WHICH CARRIED MORE ANODYNE REPORTS OF REMARKS IN SUPPORT OF CHINA'S POSITION MADE BY THE DELEGATES.
2. THE ORIENTAL DAILY (INDEPENDENT) ON 27 JUNE CARRIED A LONG INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR PARRIS CHANG, THE SOURCE OF THE NEWSWEEK STORY ABOUT A DEADLINE FOR THE NEGOTIATIONS. PROF CHANG IS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN TOLD BY HU YAOBANG THAT THE DEADLINE HAD BEEN IMPOSED BECAUSE THE PRIME MINISTER HAD REFUSED TO GIVE UP SOVEREIGNTY DURING HER TALKS WITH CHINESE LEADERS IN SEPTEMBER 1982. CHANG IS ALSO QUOTED AS SAYING THAT CHINESE LEADERS WERE IGNORANT OF THE REAL SITUATION IN HONG KONG BECAUSE CHINESE OFFICIALS STATIONED HERE WERE SCARED TO REPORT ANYTHING OTHER
CONFIDENTIAL
/THAN