GPS 250
RESTRICTED
DESK BY 2009OOZ
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 20065OZ DEC 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1984 OF 20 DECEMBER 1983
TOP COF
макодова
OUSELCO IN Mvib. R
30DLL 1983
AFB 5/1 CHIBL
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPS. WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, BRUSSELS AND GENEVA
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE
1. A VERY QUIET DAY. THE ONLY FUTURE RELATED STORY GIVEN ANY
PROMINENCE WAS A COMMENTARY BY A HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL
(INDEPENDENT) COLUMNIST ON DISCUSSION OF CHINA'S PROPOSALS FOR A QUOTE MINI-CONSTITUTION UNQUOTE FOR HONG KONG. THE
COLUMNIST NOTED THAT THE PURPOSE OF A CONSTITUTION WAS TO
DEFINE THE RESPECTIVE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF A GOVERNMENT
AND THE PEOPLE IT GOVERNED. HONG KONG HAD INHERITED THE TRAD-
ITIONAL BRITISH CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND LAWS UNDER
WHICH THE RIGHTS OF ITS PEOPLE WERE PROPERLY PROTECTED. THE
WEAKEST POINT IN THE EXISTING HONG KONG SYSTEM WAS THE LACK OF
AN ELECTED ELEMENT. HOWEVER, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT
ELECTED BY ITS PEOPLE AND IT WAS ABSURD FOR CHINA TO DRAFT A
MINI-CONSTITUTION FOR HONG KONG GIVEN THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S
RECORD. CHINA SHOULD NOT THEREFORE BE ALLOWED TO PLAY THE
LEADING ROLE IN DETERMINING HONG KONG'S FUTURE: HONG KONG
PEOPLE THEMSELVES MUST TAKE THE LEAD. THE COMMENTARY CONCLUDED
BY REPEATING THE CALLS WHICH THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL HAD MADE
IN EARLIER EDITORIALS (SEE MY TELNO 1824.) FOR THE
HONG KONG AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS TO PROVIDE FOR THE WHOLESALE
RESETTLEMENT OF HONG KONG PEOPLE ELSEWHERE IN THE EVENT OF A
FAILURE TO NEGOTIATE SATISFACTORY ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUTURE.
2. SEVERAL INDEPENDENT CHINESE-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS PICKED UP
AN ARTICLE BY FRANK CHING (A MEMBER OF THE HONG KONG OBSERVERS
DELEGATION TO PEKING AND FORMER PEKING CORRESPONDENT OF THE
ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL) IN THE ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL ON
13 DECEMBER. CHING'S ARTICLE SAID THAT THERE MUST BE SOME DOUBT
ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE RELATIONS. EVEN
RESTRICTED
/ IF CHINA
(341)