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7. MR LUCE HAD WAVED THE BANNER OF HONG KONG OPINION. HE HAD
ATTEMPTED TO SUGGEST THAT WHAT WAS A BILATERAL MATTER SHOULD
BE A TRIANGULAR ONE BETWEEN CHINA, BRITAIN AND HONG KONG.
HOW COULD THIS BE WHEN THE FACT WAS THAT BRITAIN HAD OCCUPIED
CHINA'S TERRITORY? IF BRITAIN REALLY WISHED TO FULFIL ITS
COMMITMENT' TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, IT SHOULD ADOPT
1
A COOPERATIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND HAND
BACK HONG KONG TO THE MOTHERLAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 98 PER CENT
OF HONG KONG'S POPULATION WERE CHINESE. BRITAIN HAD NO RIGHT TO
REPRESENT THEM. HONG KONG' S CHINESE RESIDENTS RECOGNISED THIS
WHEN MR LUCE AND CERTAIN PAPERS UNDER BRITISH INFLUENCE TALKED
OF PUBLIC OPINION'' THEY OVERLOOKED ONE FACT: ONE BILLION
CHINESE PEOPLE, INCLUDING 5 MILLION COMPATRIOTS IN HONG KONG, FIRMLY DEMANDED THE RETURN OF HONG KONG TO CHINA. ATTEMPTS TO US
PUBLIC OPINION'' TO EXERT PRESSURE ON CHINA OR OBSTRUCT HER
RESUMPTION OF SOVEREIGNTY WERE UTTERLY FUTILE.
8. THE TALKS WOULD BE CONTINUING. MR LUCE HAD SAID THAT
BRITAIN WAS ALREADY LOOKING TO THE FUTURE''. CHINA HOPED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT SIMPLY LET THEIR EYES REST ON THEIR OWN AIMS'', BUT WOULD TAKE A
BROAD, LONG-TERM VIEW. THEY SHOULD RECOGNISE THE TIDE OF HISTORY, ADOPT A SINCERE AND COOPERATIVE ATTITUDE AND, THROUGH FRIENDLY TALKS, BRING ABOUT A SPEEDY AND SATISFACTORY SOLUTION TO THE MATTER OF RETURNING HONG KONG TO CHINA, THEREBY PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF FRIENDLY RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO
COUNTRIES. THIS ALONE WAS TRULY CONSISTENT WITH BRITAIN'S INTEREST.
9. SEE MFT.
CLARK
SIR IAN SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
COPIES TO
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MR BURROWS
HD/HKD
HD/FED
MR ROBERTS
HD/PLANNING STAFF
MR MARTIN
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PS
PS/LADY YOUNG
MR FLOWER
PS/MR LUCE
MR COLES
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SIR J BULLARD
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD MR WRIGHT
SIR A PARSONS
MR WALKER
LEGAL ADVISER
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