GR 1000
RESTRICTED
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HIKKC040/2
NECL VED IN NASIO AY 13-P 1083
DESKBY 23093OZ
FM HONG KONG 230845Z SEP 83
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 550 OF 23 SEPTEMBER
AND TO IMMEDIATE FCO
INDEX
PA
Terion Palu
LONDON CHATY
SINGAPORE
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LOK (FOR PS TO MR LUCE), HK GOVT REPS WASHINGTON, CG NEW YORK, UKMIS GENEVA, BRUSSELS
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.
THE MAJOR COMMUNIST PAPERS TODAY REPEATED THE DREARY LITANY OF
ATTACKS ON THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT FOR PLAYING THE ECONOMIC
CARD'', AND EXHORTATIONS TO THE BRITISH SIDE TO BE SENSIBLE AND
CO-OPERATIVE IN ITS ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE FUTURE. THE NEW EVENING
POST PREDICTED THAT THE HONG KONG DOLLAR WOULD NOT REVIVE IN THE
NEAR FUTURE AND NOTED THAT THE PUBLIC HAD ONLY THE HK AND BRITISH
GOVERNMENTS TO BLAME. TA KUNG PAO CLAIMED THAT THE CHANGEABILITY
OF CHINA'S POLICIES WAS A THING OF THE PAST AND THAT THE ONE
NATION TWO SYSTEMS'' PLAN WOULD WORK SINCE ALL PROGRESS SPRANG
FROM NEW BEGINNINGS.
2. THE NORMALLY PRO LEFT TIN TIN DAILY NEWS APPEALED TO THE PEKING
GOVERNMENT TO SAVE THE HONG KONG DOLLAR. IT SUGGESTED THAT THIS
COULD BE ACHIEVED IF PEKING TOOK OVER THE RIGHT TO ISSUE BANK
NOTES IN EXCHANGE FOR SAFEGUARDS ON BRITISH ECONOMIC INTERESTS,
3. AN NCNA DESPATCH QUOTED A LEADING CHINESE LEGAL EXPERT, A
MR ZANG YOUY AS SAYING THAT IT WAS LEGAL FOR CHINA TO RECLAIM
HONG KONG IN 1997 AND THAT ANY PLAN TO EXTEND BRITISH ADMINISTRATION
AFTER 1997 WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE.
4. ALL PAPERS GAVE EXTENSIVE AND PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THE FIRST
DAY OF THE FOURTH ROUND OF TALKS. THE LEFT WING PRESS LARGELY
CONFINED ITSELF TO FACTUAL REPORTING BUT WEN WE PO PREDICTED
THAT A FURTHER ROUND OF TALKS WOULD START IN TWO WEEKS TIME. THE
PRO COMMUNIST CHING PO SAID THAT THE ATMOSPHERE HAD BEEN
HARMONIOUS BUT THE INDEPENDENT MING PAO BELIEVED THAT THE TALKS
HAD WIDENED THE GAP BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES.
5. NDEPENDENT PAPERS CARRIED A DENIAL BY MISS MARIA TAM OF A
STORY IN YESTERDAY'S ENGLISH LANGUAGE STANDARD TO THE EFFECT
THAT SHE HAD COMPILED A PAPER ON PUBLIC OPINION FOR THE GOVERNOR
TO PRESENT AT THE TALKS.
6. THE INDEPENDENT MAH KIU YAT PO CAME OUT IN SUPPORT FOR THE
FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S CLAIM THAT THE ABOLITION OF THE WITHHOLDING
TAX ON HONG KONG DOLLAR DEPOSITS WOULD NOT ASSIST THE DOLLAR. A
REVIVAL OF THE DOLLAR DEPENDED LARGELY ON PEKING'S ATTITUDE TO
THE TALKS. THE RIGHT WING HK TIMES QUOTED MR JIMMY MCGREGOF
AS SAYING THAT CHINA WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WEAKNESS OF THE
LOCAL UNIT.
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