GRS 550
RESTRICTED
DESKBY FCO 24080OZ
FM HONG KONG 24053OZ NOV 83
RESTRICTED
HKKÖ 402
RECEIVED IN KEGISTR
15 NOV 1983
(316)
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1814 OF 24 NOVEMBER
J
DES.
INDEX
PA
AY
J. Taken
73 1/2 CM 1/12
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON REKING ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, GENEVA AND BRUSSELS.
FUTURE OF HONG KONG : PRESS COVERAGE.
1. THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST AND TWO INDEPENDENT CHINESE-LANGUAGE PAPERS (THE ORIENTAL DAILY AND SING PO) REPORTED PROMINENTLY THE RESULTS OF AN OPINION POLL IN THE UK CONDUCTED BY GALLUP AND PUBLISHED IN THE LATEST EDITION OF NEW SOCIETY. ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, 60 PERCENT OF THOSE QUESTIONED SAID THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN FUTURE AND 44 PERCENT SAID THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SETTLE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM ME THERE WAS DIFFICULTY REACHING AN AGREEMENT.
2. THE RETURN TO HONG KONG OF THE GROUP OF LOCAL BUSINESSMEN (MY TELS NOS 1786 AND 1800) WAS GIVEN PROMINENT AND EXTENSIVE COVERAGE IN THE LEFT-WING PRESS AND ROUTINE COVERAGE IN THE INDEPENDENT PRESS. THE LEFT-WING PAPERS QUOTED MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION AS REPEATING THE MR EARLIER ASSERTIONS THAT THEIR INTERVIEW WITH MR. JH PENGFE HAD GIVEN THEM CAUSE FOR CONFIDENCE. THE TIN TIN DAILY NEWS (PRO-CHINA) IN ITS EDITORIAL SAID THAT JU'S REMARKS INDICATED CHINA'S DETERMINATION TO STRENGTHEN THE RULE OF LAW IN HONG KONG IN FULFILMENT OF HONG KONG PEOPLE'S WHSHES. BECAUSE HONG KONG RESIDENTS FELT THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR SOME FORM OF CONTINUING ROLE FOR THE BRITISH IN HONG KONG, CHINA HAD MADE IT CLEAR THAT IT WOULD SEEK TO CO-OPERATE WITH BRITAIN IN CRDER TO MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY. A SOLUTION ACCEPTABLE TO ALL PARTIES COULD CERTAINLY BE FOUND.
3. THE LEFT-WING PRESS ALSO COVERED PROMINENTLY MR. ROBERT ADLEY MP'S VISIT TO SHENZHEN ON 23 NOVEMBER. HE WAS REPORTED AS HAVING SAID THAT HONG KONG'S FUTURE WAS NOT THE HIGHEST POLITICAL PRIORITY FOR MOST BRITISH MP'S, MANY OF WHOM TOOK MUCH LESS INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT THAN HE DID. HE SAID THAT THE FEARS AND EXPECTATIONS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE MIGHT BE AN OBSTACLE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS. HE DID NOT THINK THAT CHINA WOULD DO ANYTHING DRASTIC TO JEOPARDISE THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND EXPRESSED OPTIMISM THAT A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION WOULD BE FOUND. MR. ADLEY'S VISHT, AND HIS REMARKS, WERE ALSO COVERED BY MOST INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS.
RESTRICTED
14.