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GPS 350
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DESKBY 21090OZ
FM HONG KONG 21080OZ DEC 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1999 OF 21 DECEMBER 1983
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
FUTURE OF HONG KONG : PRESS COVERAGE.
MKK040/2
RECEIVED IN ADDIT.
921203
DESK OF
INDEX
AFB 3/1 CHIS!!
THE SING TAO EVENING NEWS (INDEPENDENT) ON 20 DECEMBER CARRIED A COMMENTARY DESCRIBING HONG KONG'S LINKS WITH BRITAIN AS THE UMBILICAL CORD WHICH GURANTEED FREEDOM IN THE TERRITORY. FREEDOM WOULD BE LOST IF THE UMBILICAL CORD WERE CUT AS PEKING PROPOSED. THE ONLY AUTHORITATIVE WAY OF ASCERTAINING HONG KONG PEOPLE'S VIEWS ON THE FUTURE WOULD BE THOUGH A REFERNDUM.
THIS COMMENTARY WAS SHARPLY CRITICIZED IN COMMENTARIES IN TODAY'S EDITIONS OF TWO MINOR LEFT-WING NEWSPAPERS, THE CENTRE DAILY AND- THE TIN TIN DAILY. THE CENTRE DAILY COMMENTATOR ASKED WHAT COLOUR SKIN THE SING TAO COLUMINIST HAD (IMPLYING THAT HE HAD BETRAYED HIS CHINESE ORIGIN). IT WAS REDICULOUS TO SUGGEST A REFERENDUM. HONG KONG WAS CHINESE TERRITORY. NO COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WOULD ALLOW THE INHABITANTS OF PART OF ITS TERRITORY TO DECIDE THEIR FUTURE BY REFERENDUM. THE TIN TIN DAILY COMMENTATOR TOOK A SIMILARLY ABUSIVE LINE, SUGGESTING THAT THE SING TAO COLUMNIST WAS A BABY WHO LOOKED TO BRITAIN AS HIS MOTHER AND THAT HIS REMARKS WERE QUOTE SICKENING UNQUOTE.
2. A SHORT COMMENTRY IN WEN WEI PO (COMMUNIST) ALSO ATTACKED THE THEORY THAT HONG KONG STOOD A LOT TO GAIN BY MAINTAINING THE BRITISH LINK AND A LOT TO LOSE IF CHINA RECOVERED SOVEREIGNTY. HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY WAS BUILD ON THE COMPETITIVENESS OF ITS OWN EXPORTS AND WAS NOT AT THE MERCY OF FOREIGN COUNTIRES. THE COMMENTATOR CONCLUDED THAT WHILST BRITAIN HAD MADE NO ATTEMPT TO UNDERMINE HONG KONG'S COMPETITIVENESS IT HAD DONE LITTLE TO PROMOTE IT (COMMENT: THIS ARTICLE APPEARS TO BE A RESPONSE TO THE ARTICLE BY FRANK CHING IN THE ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL OF 19 DECEMBER: MY TELNO 1984).
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