GR
600
TOP COPY
RESTRICTED
I
MS POLA
Mn clift
(208
RESTRICTED note "exerise sovereighty"
and "admuistintive right "and "regaining and exerising пледайте
Sovereiping"
FM HONG KONG 14094OZ SEP 83
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1350 OF 14 SEPTEMBER INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEK KING, WASHINGTON (FOR MK GOVT REP), CG NEW YORK (FOR HK GOVT REP), UKMIS GENEVA (FOR HK GOVT REP), BRUSSELS (FOR HK GOVT REPT
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.
༥
1. All pretty
Strong
x clear.
MKK040/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
芦
TV SEP 1983
1. ALL NEWSPAPERS, THE COMMUNIST PRESS IN PARTICULAR, GAVE EXTENSIVE AND PROMINENT COVERAGE TO XU JATUN'S VISIT TO THE DESK OFFICER NEW TERRITORIES YESTERDAY. THE TWO MAJOR COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERS, WEN WEN PO AND TA KUNG PAO COMMENTED EDITORIALLY.
2. WEN WEH PO SAID CHINESE PEOPLE HAD A MISSION TO REUNITE WITH TAIWAN AND TO REGAIN AND EXERCISE SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG. FEW PEOPLE WERE AGAINST THIS GOAL. THE EDITORIAL SAID THAT XU HAD MADE AN ANALYSIS OF LOCAL PUBLIC OPINION WHICH DEMONSTRATED THAT THOSE WHO SUPPORTED UNIFICATION WERE PATRIOTS. CLAIMING THAT FACTORS EXISTED WHICH COULD DESTABILISE HONG KONG, WEN WE! PO SAID THAT INSISTENCE ON THE VALIDITY OF THE UNEQUAL TREATIES OR ATTEMPTS TO SEPARATE SOVEREIGNTY FROM ADMINISTRATIVE RIGHT WOULD PLUNGE THE TERRITORY INTO POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CHAOS.
3. TA KUNG PAO INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING SUMMARY OF STATEMENTS MADE
BY XU DURING HIS FREQUENT CONTACTS WITH PEOPLE IN HONG KONG:
(A) XU WAS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT HONG KONG'S FUTURE:
(B) CHINA'S INTENTION OF REGAINING AND EXERCISING SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG WAS QUITE CLEAR:
(C) CHINA HAD A SET OF POLICIES TO PRESERVE HONG KONG'S STABILITY: (D) HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY COULD BE MAINTAINED PROVIDED THE OTHER PARTY'' ADOPTED A SENSIBLE AND CO-OPERATIVE ATTITUDE.
PA
on Tak
my KM26/9
4. THE EXPRESS (INDEPENDENT) HAS BEEN THE ONLY CHINESE LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER TO COMMENT THAT MR HEATH'S ACCOUNT OF HIS CONVERSATION WITH DENG XIAOPING OMITTED ANY MENTION OF THE WISHES OF HONG KONG PEOPLE IN FINDING A SOLUTION ACCEPTABLE TO BRITAIN AND CHINA. THE NEW EVENING POST (COMMUNIST) HAS CRITICISED THE EXPRESS, INSISTING THAT IT WAS A MATTER FOR CHINA'S INTERNAL POLICIES TO PRODUCE A FORMULA FOR FULFILLING LOCAL RESIDENT'S WISHES AND THE FORM OF THEIR FUTURE ADMINISTRATION.
5. ALMOST ALL PAPERS COMMENTED ON YESTERDAY'S FALL IN THE HONG KONG DOLLAR EXCHANGE RATE TO A RECORD LOW OF 7.83 AGAINST THE U.S. UNIT. WHILST THE INDEPENDENT PRESS ATTRIBUTED THE LOCAL CURRENCY'S NOSEDIVE TO UNCERTAINTY OVER HONG KONG'S POLITICAL FUTURE, TA KUNG PAO SAID IT WAS RIDICULOUS TO TRY TO BLAME THE SLIDE ON RECENT STATEMENTS ABOUT HONG KONG BY THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP. CHINA'S STAND ON THE RECOVERY OF SOVEREIGNTY AND THE MAINTENANCE OF PROSPERITY AND STABILITY WAS VERY CLEAR. SINCE CHINA SUPPLIED MANY IMPORTS
RESTRICTED
I PAID