DISTR & OP
-
CONFIDENTIAL UKESES A
CONFIDENT I A L CDN EYES ONLY
FM HKONG XBGR0363 21APR83
TO EXTOTT GPO
INFO LDN PEKIN MANIL SPORE KLMPR ENGKK JKRTA WSHDC BNATO BRFEC
CNBRA WLGTN SEOUL TOKYO PARIS
DISTR GPP GPS ZEP DOO MAA
REF OURTEL XBGR0318 13APR
---FUTURE OF HKONG
THE COLONY IS AGAIN RIFE WITH RUMOURS AND AS USUAL THEY ARE
CAUSING CONSIDERABLE NERVOUSNESS IN CURRENT HIGHLY SENSITIVE
ENVIRONMENT. AS WE HAVE SAID BEFORE, IN ABSENCE OF ANY SOLID
INFO ON HOW FUTURE IS LIKELY TO UNFOLD, BEHAVIOUR HERE IS
GREATLY AFFECTED BY PERCEPTIONS AND THEY HAVE AGAIN TURNED SOUR.
2.THREE EVENTS APPEAR TO HAVE CAUSED LATEST BOUT OF JITTERS.
MOST IMPORTANT WAS ARTICLE WHICH APPEARED IN HIGHLY REGARDED
CHINESE LANGUAGE QUOTE HKONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL UNQUOTE.STORY
WAS REPEATED IN SIMILAR FORM IN OTHER LOCAL PUBLICATIONS.
ARTICLE REPORTS NO/NO PROGRESS IN NEGOTIATIONS AND ATTRIBUTES THIS
TO FACT THAT AMBASSADOR CRADDOCK,CHIEF NEGOTIATOR ON BRIT SIDE.
IS RETIRING IN OCT AND THAT CHINESE WILL NOT/NOT NAME THEIR
NEGOTIATOR UNTIL AFTER NEW AMBASSADOR IS NAMED.ARTICLE GOES
ON TO SAY THAT CHINESE (VICE FOREIGN MINISTER YAO GUANG) HAVE
TOLD BRITS THAT CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY OVER ALL OF HKONG IS NOT/NOT
2
Er.
CONFIDENTIAL
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