337
2
GR 800
RESTRICTED
DESKBY 14080OZ
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 14074OZ DEC 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1937 OF 14 DECEMBER
MKK0402
VED IN KEJSTY'
JLL 1993
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING INFO ROUTINE HK GOVT REPS WASHINGTON, CG NEW YORK, UKMISGENEVAH
BRUSSELS
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.
८१
"AFR CZ CABL
1. THE COMMUNIST PRESS MAINTAINED ITS CONCERTED CRITICISM OF THE HONG KONG OVSERVERS' POSITION PAPER. THE NEW EVENING POST IN ITS
EDITORIAL ON 13 DECEMBER SAID THAT THE OBSERVERS' PAPER HAD
MENTIONED TWO APPREHENSIONS: FEAR OF EXCESSIVE INTERVENTION BY
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG'S AFFAIRS AND FEAR OF A
VACUUM CREATED BY A BRITISH WITHDRAWAL FROM HONG KONG, THIS
INDICATED THAT THE LEADING MEMBERS OF THE GROUP HAD MORE TRUST
IN THE BRITISH THAN IN THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE
OF HONG KONG. THE OBSERVERS HAD DELIBERATELY OMITTED TO MENTION
THEIR POSITION ON CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG. IT WAS
TRUE THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE STILL HAD DOUBTS AND WORRIES ABOUT
THE FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG. BUT THE OBSERVERS' OVER
RELIANCE ON THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND MISTRUST OF THE CHINESE
GOVERNMENT AND HONG KONG PEOPLE DID NOT REFLECT REALITY
OBJECTIVELY.
2. A COMMENTATOR IN THE PRO-CHINA TIN TIN DAILY NEWS SAID THAT
THE PAPER REFERRED TWELVE TIMES TO THE NEED FOR SINO/BRITISH
CO-OPERATION TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE. IT
WAS RIDICULOUS FOR THE GROUP TO SUGGEST THAT A FOREIGN COUNTRY
SHOULD HELP CHINA DRAFT A MINI CONSTITUTION FOR HONG KONG.
EDITORIALS AND COMMENTARIES IN THE TWO MINOR COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERS, CHING PO AND CENTRE DAILY NEWS MADE SIMILAR POINTS.
3. A NUMBER OF PAPERS CARRIED ACCOUNTS OF FURTHER REMARKS TO THE
PRESS BY THE LEADER OF THE OBSERVERS DELEGATION, MISS ANNA WU.
THE TIN TIN DAILY NEWS QUOTED HER AS SAYING THAT THE OBSERVERS
HAD LEARNT FROM CHINESE OFFICIALS THAT CHINA HAD APPLIED TO JOIN
GATT AND THAT THIS WOULD ENABLE HONG KONG TO MAINTAIN ITS
INDEPENDENT STATUS IN THE GATT IN FUTURE. THE OBSERVERS HAD ALSO
BEEN TOLD THAT THE FINAL COURT OF APPEAL WOULD BE IN HONG KONG
AND THAT THERE WAS NO CONFLICT BETWEEN THE MINI CONSTITUTION AND
CHINA'S STATE CONSTITUTION. A NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT PAPERS, INCLUDING THE SOUTH CMINA MORNING POST AND THE HONG KONG STANDARD,
QUOTED MISS WU AS HAVING SAID THAT SHE WOULD DISCUSS WITH THE
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE OBSERVERS THE POSSIBILITY OF RESPONDING TO
THE CRITICISM IN THE COMMUNIST PRESS.
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14.