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CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 210940Z JUN 83
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 337 OF 21 JUNE
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING
MY TELNO 826: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.
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AKK 040/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 23 JUN 1983
1. THE NEWSWEEK ARTICLE AND THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN'S RESPONSE WERE BOTH GIVEN PROMINENT AND WIDESPREAD COVERAGE IN THE LOCAL PRESS ON 21 JUNE. MOST PAPERS SOUGHT COMMENT FROM THE USUAL SELECTION OF ACADEMICS AND BUSINESSMEN, ALL OF WHOM EXPRESSED SCEPTICISM ABOUT THE NEWSWEEK REPORT, IN PARTICULAR THE NOTION THAT DENG XIAOPING HAD SET A DEADLINE FOR THE NEGOTIATIONS. MOST NEWSPAPERS INTERPRETED THE GOVERNMENT STATEMENT AS A DENIAL OF THE DEADLINE STORY AS WELL AS OF THE ASSERTION THAT THE TALKS IN SEPTEMBER 1982 HAD BEEN ACRIMONIOUS. ONLY THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (SCMP) POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT STATEMENT HAD NOT, IN FACT, REFUTED THE ASSERTION THAT DENG XIAOPING HAD SET A DEADLINE FOR THE TALKS. THE PRESS RELEASE ON MINISTERIAL MESSAGES WAS ALSO WIDELY COVERED AND GENERALLY SEEN AS A COUNTER TO THE NEWSWEEK ASSERTION THAT THE FCO HAD GIVEN UP ANY REAL HOPE OF RETAINING EVEN TITULAR SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG AFTER 1997. 2. THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL (INDEPENDENT) ALONGSIDE ITS COVERAGE OF THE NEWSWEEK ARTICLE, CARRIED ON ITS FRONT PAGE ON 21 JUNE AN ARTICLE QUOTING INFORMED SOURCES AS HAVING REVEALED THAT THE SINO/BRITISH TALKS WERE NOW FOCUSING ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEGOTIATIONS. AGREEMENT HAD YET TO BE REACHED ON THE ORDER OF DISCUSSION OF THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT TOPICS, SOVEREIGNTY AND FUTURE ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS. BRITAIN WISHED TO DISCUSS FUTURE ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS FIRST, BUT CHINA WANTED TO HAVE SOVEREIGNTY AS THE FIRST ITEM. IN AN EDITORIAL IN THE SAME EDITION, THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL SUGGESTED THAT IT WOULD BE REASONABLE TO DETERMINE FIRST HOW HONG KONG'S CONTINUED ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE ORGANISED BEFORE SETTLING THE SOVEREIGNTY ISSUE. IF THE SOVEREIGNTY ISSUE WERE DEALT WITH FIRST, THIS MIGHT CAUSE CHAOS IN HONG KONG. THE EDITORIAL ALSO URGED HONG KONG PEOPLE TO STATE THE IR VIEWS AND TO BEAR IN MIND THAT SOVEREIGNTY WAS AN ABSTRACT NOTION WHICH DID NOT AFFECT THEIR DAILY LIVES IN THE WAY THAT THE ORGANISATION OF HONG KONG'S
ADMINISTRATION DID.
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