GRS 450
RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 06025OZ SEP 83
TO ROUTINE F CO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1303 OF 6 SEPTEMBER
HKK 040/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRI
A&SEP 1735
DESK OFFCLA
INDEX
PA
203
NOTED KSJ
INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING,
HKG REPS WASHINGTON, CG NEW YORK, UKMIS GENEVA AND BRUSSELS.
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.
1. PROMINENT COVERAGE IN THE COMMUNIST PRESS WAS GIVEN TO AN NCNA (HONG KONG) DESPATCH OF 3 SEPTEMBER CLAIMING THAT
''DOZENS OF TRADE UNIONS HN HONG KONG AND KOWLOON HAVE
VOICED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION
TO RECOVER THE SOVEREIGNTY OF HONG KONG IN 1997''. THE
DESPATCH SAID THAT ATTEMPTS TO SEPARATE SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMINISTRATION WERE AIMED AT PROLONGING BRITISH COLONIAL CONTROL OF HONG KONG WHICH WAS INTOLERABLE TO THE CHINESE
PEOPLE INCLUDING THE HONG KONG WORKERS.
•
2. MOST NESPAPERS CARRIED ACCOUNTS OF MR GEORGE WALDEN MP'S ARTICLE IN THE TIMES ABOUT THE SUN SETTING ON BRITAIN'S DEPENDENT TERRITORIES, HONG KONG, GIBRALATAR AND THE FALKLANDS.
THE NEW EVENING POST (COMMUNIST) PUBLISHED AN EDITORIAL FIRMLY
SUPPORTING THE ARGUMENT THAT ONE SHOULD NOT STAND IN THE SAY OF
A SETTING SUN. OF BRUTAUN TRIED TO DO SO, ITS INTERNATIONAL
NFLUENCE AND REPUTATION WOULD DIMINISH. THE TIN TIN DAILY NEWS (PRO-CHINA) EXPRESSED SHMILAR SENTIMENTS WHILST POINTING OUT THAT HONG KONG WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE FALKLANDS AND GIBRALTAR. CHINA HAD NEVER RECOGNISED THE THREE UNEQUAL
TREATIES RELATING TO HONG KONG AND IT WAS CHINA WHICH
MAINTAINED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TERRITORY. THE PAPER URGED BRITAIN TO ADOPT A MORE REALISTIC ATTITUDE AND WITHDRAW
HONOURABLY.
3. BOTH THE COMMUNIST AND THE INDEPENDENT PRESS HAVE GIVEN
COVERAGE TO REMARKS MADE BY MARTIN LEE, Q.C. (FORMER CHAIRMAN
OF THE HONG KONG BAR ASSOCHATHON), TO A SEMINAR ORGANIZED BY
THE WEN WEN: PO (COMMUNIST) IN HONOUR OF TS 35TH ANNIVERSARY.
THE INDEPENDENT FRESS FOCUSSED ON HIS COMMENT THAT UP TO 90
PERCENT OF THE MEMBERS OF HONG KONG'S LEGAL PROFESSION WOULD
LEAVE THE TERRITORY AFTER 1997 UNLESS THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM
REMAINED INDEPENDENT. WHILST THE COMMUNIST PRESS HAS ALSO
CARRIED HIS CONCERN OVER THE BRAIN DRAIN'', THESE NEWSPAPERS
HAVE ATTRIBUTED TO LEE REMARKS TO THE EFFECT THAT PROFESSIONAL
PEOPLE SHOULD BE PERSUADED TO STAY, THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE
RESTRICTED
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