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FM HONG KONG 180845Z AUG 83
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1231 OF 18 AUGUST
з
CMB 18
INFO PEKING (FOR HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVES) WASHINGTON NEW YORK"
BRUSSELS UKMIS GENEVA HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE
1. AN EDITORIAL IN TODAY'S TA KUNG PAO (COMMUNIST) ENGLISH
LANGUAGE WEEKLY SUPPLEMENT CONTRASTED THE COMBINATHON OF QUOTE
PRINCIPLE AND FLEXIBILITY UNQUOTE IN HU YAOBANG'S STATEMENT WITH
MRS THATCHER'S ASSERTION LAST SEPTEMBER THAT THE UNEQUAL TREATIES
ARE VALID BUT COULD BE QUOTE VARNED UNQUOTE ONLY TO EXTEND BRITISH
RULE MIN HONG KONG. AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE, QUOTE CHINA HAS TO
RESUME SOVEREIGNTY AND END BRITISH RULE OVER HONG KONG NO LATER
THAN 1 JULY 1997 UNQUOTE SAND THE EDITORIAL BUT HU YAOBAN HAS
ALSO DESCRIBED CHINA'S FLEXIBILITY: QUOTE THE PRESENT NEGOTIATIONS
BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAN ARE CONFINED TO THE WAYS OF PRESERVING
HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY AND THE GRADUAL TRANSITION
FROM NOW TO THE TIME OF RECOVERY (OF SOVEREIGNTY) UNQUOTE. WHILST
HU'S RECENT STATEMENT HAD NOT APPRECIABLY DEPRESSED THE LOCAL
STOCK MARKET, SAID THE EDITORIAL, MRS THATCHER'S STATEMENT ON THE
UNEQUAL TREATHES PRODUCED A VIOLENT MARKET REACTION.
2. IN ITS CHINESE LANGUAGE EDITION, TA KUNG PAO ATTACKED YESTERDAY'S SCMP EDITORIAL (MY TELNO 1219) ON HU'S STATEMENT
AS A PERSONAL AND DISRESPECTFUL ATTACK ON A CHINESE LEADER AND CHINESE POLICIES. THE SCMP'S CALL ON PEOPLE TO SPEAK UP ON
THE ISSUE WAS A MOVE TO GENERATE HOSTILE FEELINGS WHICH WOULD DO
HONG KONG NO GOOD.
3. THE MING PAO EVENING NEWS (INDEPENDENT) PREDICTED THAT CHINA WOULD STAND FIRM ON THE RESUMPTION OF SOVERE GNTY AND ADMINISTAATION AND THAT BRITAN WOULD BACK DOWN EVENTUALLY. THE PAPER INTERPRETED UMELCO MEMBERS CALL ON PEOPLE TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS WAS AN OBVIOUS PLOY DY THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS TO PLAY THEIR QUOTE PUBLIC OPINION CARD UNQUOTE. HOWEVER, THIS WAS A USELESS MOVE WHICH COULD ONLY TRIGGER-OFF A COUNTER-BARRAGE FROM THE LEFT-WING PRESS AND CAUSE THE GENERAL PUBLIC MORE ANXIETY.
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