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OO CANBERRA
RR PEKING
GRS 385
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FM FCO 041130Z OCT 83
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MKKOAOS
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
5 . 1983
TO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA
DES
TUCK
REGISTTY
TELEGRAM NUMBER 339 OF 4 OCTOBER
INDEX
on taken
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG
AFB
INFO ROUTINE PEKING
FOR PS/MR WHITNEY:
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
1. FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL POINTS MAY BE USEFUL IN DISCUSSIONS
WITH AUSTRALIAN MINISTERS AND DFA :
VISITS
(A) MR LUCE VISITED HONG KONG 24-28 SEPTEMBER. VERY USEFUL
VISIT. SPOKE AT PRESS CONFERENCE OF DIFFICULT PATH AHEAD
BUT DETERMINATION IN SEEKING OUR OBJECTIVE. SINCE THEN THE
CHINESE HAVE REACTED STRONGLY TO HIS REFERENCE TO
BUFFETING AND TURBULENCE WHILE THE FUTURE REMAINS
UNCERTAIN. FOR PROPAGANDA REASONS THEY CHOOSE TO INTERPRET
THIS AS A THREAT.
(B) THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF HONG KONG'S EXECUTIVE COUNCIL,
TOGETHER WITH THE GOVERNOR WILL VISIT LONDON 6-8 OCTOBER
AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION PROCESS. SIR P CRADOCK WILL
ALSO BE PRESENT.
(C) SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN SAYING PUBLICLY
THAT PEKING WILL MAKE A STATEMENT ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE AT
THE END OF NEXT YEAR IF NO AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED BY THEN.
AS MR LUCE SAID IN HONG KONG OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO PROCEED AS
FAST AS WE CAN, BUT IT WOULD BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO SET
DEADLINES.
ECONOMIC.
(D) ON 4 OCTOBER, THE HANG SENG INDEX CLOSED AT 690.06. THE HONG
KONG DOLLAR CLOSED AT 8.55 TO THE US DOLLAR. THE EXCHANGE
RATE INDEX WAS 61.3. MEASURES TAKEN BY THE HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT OVER THE WEEKEND OF 24/5 SEPTEMBER HELPED TO
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