294
TOP COF
1
OO PEKING
UNCLASSIFIED
30004
1
OO CANBERRA
GRS 289
UNCLASSIFIED
FM FCO 071200Z NOV 83
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 769 OF 7 NOVEMBER
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, CANBERRA
FUTURE OF HONG KONG : PRESS STORIES
нскодов
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
- 7 NOV 1983
DESK OFFICER INDEX
REGISTRY
Action Taken
CHOL"
1. FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF SUNDAY TIMES ARTICLE.
BEGINS.
THATCHER CONCEDES CLAIM TO HONG KONG
1.
Pia
MRS THATCHER HAS AGREED TO SET ASIDE BRITISH SOVEREIGNTY
CLAIMS TO HONG KONG ISLAND AND THE KOWLOON PENINSULA ON THE
CHINESE MAINLAND IN A SECRET ATTEMPT TO REACH A NEW SINO-BRITISH
AGREEMENT ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE AFTER 1997. MINISTERS ARE STRONGLY DENYING, HOWEVER, THAT THERE HAS BEEN ANY 'SELL-OUT'.
2. THE PRIME MINISTER'S CONCESSION, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN PUBLICLY DISCLOSED, HAS ENABLED PEKING TALKS ON HONG KONG TO MAKE PROGRESS
AFTER A YEAR OF MOUNTING CHINESE BITTERNESS OVER BRITAIN'S
RESIDUAL SOVEREIGNTY CLAIMS.
3.
MRS THATCHER ANNOYED CHINESE LEADERS AFTER HER PEKING TRIP
LAST YEAR BY RESTATING BRITAIN'S RIGHTS TO THE NON-LEASED ISLAND
AND KOWLOON, CEDED TO BRITAIN IN PERPETUITY. SHE HAS NOW AGREED
TO PUT THESE CLAIMS ON ONE SIDE IN THE INTERESTS OF A NEW
AGREEMENT SECURING HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC WAY OF LIFE.
3. RICHARD LUCE, FOREIGN OFFICE MINISTER OF STATE WITH SPECIAL
RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG, ALSO CONFIRMED LAST WEEK THAT
BRITAIN ACKNOWLEDGED 'THE SOVEREIGNTY POSITION' AND WAS SEEKING A
LONG-TERM SOLUTION ACCEPTABLE TO HONG KONG'S FIVE MILLION PEOPLE.
4. NEGOTIATIONS IN PEKING WILL NOW BE SPEEDED UP. TWO ROUNDS
OF TALKS ARE SCHEDULED FOR NEXT MONTH AND CONTINUOUS INFORMAL
See (93)
1
UNCLASSIFIED