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TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1559 OF 20 OCTOBER
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#NFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON INFO ROUTINE HK GOVT REPS WASHINGTON, CG NEW YORK, BRUSSELS, UKMIS GENEVA
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.
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AES 2016 CM3ity
1. ALL INDEPENDENT PAPERS AND THE PRO-CHINA TIN TIN DAILY NEWS CARRIED SPECULATIVE ARTICLES PURPORT:ING TO GIVE DETAILS OF THE MESSAGE WHICH THE PRIME MINISTER S ALLEGED TO HAVE SENT TO THE CHINESE SIDE. THESE ARTICLES ARE ALL VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONE BY ALAMIN CASS N THE FINANC HAL TIMES ON 19 OCTOBER. THN THIN CLAIMED THAT THE THREE VITAL POINTS IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S LETTER HANDED TO THE CHINESE SIDE BY SAR P. CRADOCK WERE: (A) THAT CORDIAL RELATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA SHOULD BE MAINTAINED:
(B) THAT WHILST THE TWO SIDES SHOULD MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY, BRITAIN WOULD NOT (NOT) CONCEDE SOVEREIGNTY:
(C) THE TWO SIDES SHOULD ESTABLISH A WORKING PARTY TO EXAMINE MATTERS RELATING TO JOINT ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997. 2. WHILST THE MAJOR COMMUNIST PAPERS HERE REFRAINED FROM COMMENTING ON THE CONTENT OF THE TALKS THEY QUOTED LN JUSHENG'S COMMENT TO THE PRESS *N PEKING THAT WE MUST TALK ABOUT SOVEREIGNTY EACH TIME. ISN'T THAT SO?''
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3. SOME INDEPENDENT PAPERS INTERPRETED LH JUSHENG'S COMMENT AS
A SHIFT AWAY FROM FOREIGN MINISTER WU XUEQHAN'S INSISTENCE
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THAT SOVEREIGNTY WAS 'NON-NEGOT÷FABLE''. GENERALLY, THE INDEPENDENT PRESS MAINTAINED THEIR WEW THAT THE PRESENT ROUND OF TALKS WAS TAKING PLACE IN A MORE CORDIAL AND COOPERATIVE ATMOSPHERE. 4. MHNG PAO (INDEPENDENT) SAID THAT THE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION BETWEEN THE TWO SHADES WERE NOT (NOT) IRRECONCILABLE, PROVIDED THEY SHARED A GENUINE DESIRE TO COOPERATE AND ENCOURAGE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO EXPRESS THEIR OWN VIEWS. HOWEVER, THE EDITORIAL ARGUED THAT SINCE BRITAIN HAD TAKEN HONG KONG BY FORCE, THE UNEQUAL TREATIES SHOULD BE ABOLISHED WITH A RECOGNITION OF CHINA'S RIGHT IN INTERNATIONAL LAW TO RECOVER SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES. THE EDITORIAL MAINTAINED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING IN INTERNATIONAL LAW (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) REQUIRING CHINA TO SEEK THE CONSENT OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
5. AN ARTICLE BY FRANK CHING IN TODAY'S ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL ARGUED THAT BRITAIN AND CHINA SHOULD APPROACH THE TALKS WITH MORE FINESSE AND STOP SMPING AT EACH OTHER AT THE EXPENSE OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. CHING ARGUED THAT BRUTAN SHOULD
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