小
GRS 350
RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
DESKEY FCO 2809OOZ
FM HONG KONG 280745Z OCT 83
TOP COP
николов
1083
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1620 OF 28 OCTOBER
:
21
ASTS ??!!! CH31/16
INFO HIMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKHING ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, BRUSSELS AND GENEVA.
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE
TWO FURTHER SPEECHES IN THE LEGISLATINE COUNCIL DEBATE (MY
TELNO 1612) WERE COVERED IN BOTH THE HANDEPENDENT AND LEFT-WHING
PRESS:
(A) MR. JOHN SWANE STRESSED THE NEED TO RETAIN HONG KONG'S
INDEPENDENT LEGAL SYSTEM AFTER 1997. HE ARGUED FORMLY AGAINST
ANY FINAL COURT OF APPEAL HIN PEKING. QUITE APART FROM THUS GRAFTHING ONTO OUR SYSTEM A HEAD THAT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND OUR
LAW, THERE WOULD THEN BEAT WITHIN AT A HEART THAT HIS ALMEN TO
OUR TRADITIONS''.
(B) MR. STEPHEN CHEONG SAND THAT TIME WAS NEEDED FOR BOTH PARTIES
TO THE TALKS TO MASTER THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF HONG KONG'S
VIABILITY. ONLY THEN COULD THE NEGOTIATION BEGIN TO DEVISE A
FRAMEWORK TO SAFEGUARD HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.
2. THE INDEPENDENT PRESS GAVE THE TWO SPEECHES RELAT{{VELY
PROMINENT COVERAGE. WEN WEN. PO (COMMUNITS) HOWEVER DESCRIBED MR. SWAINE'S REMARKS AS HARPING ON THE SAME OLD TUNE OF
CONTINUED BRITISH RULE. MR. CHEONG'S REMARKS WERE GIVEN ONLY ROUTINE COVERAGE IN THE COMMUNIST PRESS. RESTRICTED
/3.
See 277