тор сору
SECRET
CRE 700
SECRET
FRUM PEKING 100700Z AUG 53
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM WUMBER 777 OF 10TH AUG 33
MKK0906
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
· AUG 1983
OF SM OF
INDEX
ICER
PA
WHY
7
1CH118
(337)
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG AND CANBERRA (PERSONAL FOR HIGH COMMISSIONER)
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: MR HAYDEN'S TALKS IN PEKING
1. THE AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY HERE HAVE GIVE US A FULL BRIEFING OF MR HAYDEN'S TALKS WITH WU XUEQIAN ON HONG KUNG. THEY HAVE ASKED THAT THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE GIVEN US THIS BRIEFING SHOULD NOT BE REVEALED TO OTHER AUSTRALIAN MISSIONS OR TO THE DFA IN CANBERRA,
PLEASE PROTECT.
2. HAYDEN HAD SAID IN HIS OPENING STATEMENT TO WU THAT HE WOULD LIKE BRIEFING ON HONG KONG AND TAIWAN. WU HAD RETURNED TO THE SUBJECT AT A LATER STAGE IN THE TALKS. HE SAID THAT THE CONTENT
OF THE DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE UK AND CHINA WAS A PRIVATE MATTER. HOWEVER HE COULD GIVE SOME BRIEFING ON THE CHINESE POSITION. THE ISSUE HAD BEEN RAISED BY MRS THATCHER WITH DENG AND ZHAO, WHO MADE CLEAR THAT AFTER 1997 SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG
WOULD REVERT TO CHINA. CHINA HAD NEVER RECOGNISED THE TREATIES.
THIS POINT WAS NON-NEGOTIABLE. BUT CHINA WOULD HEGOTIATE ON HOW
TO MAINTAIN THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG. DENG HAD
MADE A FURTHER POINT OF PRINCIPLE: CHINA WAS PREPARED TO TURN
HONG KONG INTO A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION WHERE POLICIES
APPLICABLE TO THE CONDITIONS OF HONG KONG WOULD JE PURSUED. FIRMS
OF OTHER COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE UK COULD CONTINUE TO OPERATE :
THEIR PROPERTIES AND INTERESTS WOULD BE PROTECTED. THE STATUTES
AND LAWS WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED. HOWEVER THERE WOULD BE A FEW MINOR
CHANGES, SUCH AS THE OMISSION OF REFERENCES TO HER MAJESTY'S
GOVERNMENT (MR HAYDEN OBSERVED AT THIS POINT THAT AUSTRALIA HAD
NOT YET GOT THIS FAR).
3. WU THEN REFERRED TO DENG'S RECENT MEETINGS WITH HONG KONG
DELEGATIONS TO THE NPC AND CCPCC. HE SAID THAT DENG HAD TOLD
THESE DELEGATIONS THAT IN RESPECT OF THE FUTURE ADMINISTRATION
OF HONG KONG THE LOCAL CHINESE WOULD ELECT THEIR OWN REPRESENTATIVES
TO CONDUCT ADMINISTRATION. ALTERNATIVELY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT
MIGHT APPOINT LOCAL PEOPLE TO MANAGE HONG KONG. BUT PEKING WOULD
NOT SEND IN OUTSIDE PEOPLE TO ADMINISTER THE TERRITORY.
BRITISH ADMINISTRATORS WHO WERE HONG KONG RESIDENTS COULD
CONTINUE TO WORK IN THE ADMINISTRATION AC EMPLOYEES. CHINA
WOULD ALLOW HONG KONG TO HAVE ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH OTHER
COUNTRIES AND HER POSITION AS A FREE PORT AND INTERNATIONAL
SECRET
/FINANCE
Seel
See 2.53