GRS 640
UNCLASSIFIED
FM CANBERRA 082245Z FEB 84
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 68 OF 8 FEBRUARY 1984 AND TO ROUTINE HONG KONG, PEKING
AMY
TEL 36.
AUSTRALIAN PRESS COMMENTS ON HONG KONG
HKK048
RECEIVED IN BKCIJTAY
-
184
INDEX
INGIETE
Julion Tab
1. AUSTRALIAN PRESS CONTINUES TO SPECULATE ON HONG KONG. INTEREST HAS LIVENED WITH PRIME MINISTER HAWKE'S VISIT. MARK BAKER WRITES IN THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD OF 28 JANUARY QUOTE IT IS WIDELY BELIEVED THAT BRITAIN HAS NOW PRIVATELY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IT CANNOT CLAIM CONTINUED SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG BEYOND 1997 AND THAT N NEGOTIATIONS HAVE MOVED ON TO THE SPECIFICS OF HOW THE CHANGEOVER WILL OCCUR: HOW THE TERRITORY'S CHARACTER AND PROSPERITY WILL BE PRESERVED AND THE INTERESTS OF EXPATRIATES SAFEGUARDED. UNQUOTE.
2.
ARTICLE IN THE AGE OF 28 JANUARY ALSO BY MARK BAKER SAYS QUOTE CHINA IS ADOPTING A MUCH MORE CO-OPERATIVE APPROACH TO THE HONG KONG TALKS AND HAS RAISED EXPECTATIONS THAT THE COLONY'S FUTURE WILL BE RESOLVED BY THE END OF THE YEAR. UNQUOTE. THE AGE OF 30 JANUARY UNDER HEADING QUOTE HAWKE IN TALKS ON FUTURE OF HONG KONG UNQUOTE SAYS QUOTE DOTS BEGINS HIS EIGHTEEN DAY FIVE NATION ASIAN TRIP TODAY WITH TOP LEVEL BRIEFING ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. MR HAWKE WILL BE BRIEFED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNOR SIR EDWARD YOUDE DOTS CHINA HAS RECENTLY DISCLOSED ITS BLUEPRINT FOR THE COLONY AFTER IT REGAINS SOVEREIGNTY. UNQUOTE. QUOTE HONG KONG HS EXPECTED TO BE AUSTRALIA'S LARGEST SOURCE OF MIGRANTS THIS YEAR AFTER THE UNITED KINGDOM. UNQUOTE.
3. THE AUSTRALIAN OF 30 JANUARY IN REPORT BY PAUL ELLERCAMP (IN HONG KONG WITH PRIME MINISTER) QUOTE AUSTRALIAN'S ROLE IS NOT TO SEEK TO INTERVENE IN THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS. THE GOVERNMENT'S MAIN PUBLIC CONCERN SEEMS IN FACT TO BE TO KEEP THE PROVERBIAL QUOTE LOW PROFILE UNQUOTE. BUT WHILE NOT WISHING TO BE REGARDED AS POKING HTS NOSE INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S BUSINESS THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS A LEGITIMATE INTEREST IN WHAT THE TALKS PRODUCE. CALLING IN ON SIR EDWARD GIVES MR HAWKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAP INTO THE BRITISH SIDE OF THE TALKS ONLY DAYS BEFORE HE TAPS IN ON THE CHINESE SIDE IN PEKING. UNQUOTE.
4. PETER REES OF THE MELBOURNE SUN AND ALSO WITH THE PRIME MINISTER'S PARTY SAYS ON 31 JANUARY QUOTE THE PRIME MINISTER MR HAWKE WILL PRESS CHINESE AUTHORITIES FOR THEIR VERSION OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH BRITAIN ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AFTER TALKS IN THE TERRITORY YESTERDAY. UNQUOTE. THE ARTICLES GOES ON TO SAY QUOTE SIR EDWARD A MEMBER OF THE BRITISH NEGOTIATING TEAM GAVE MR HAWKE A BROAD ACCOUNT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS THE LAST ROUND OF WHICH TOOK PLACE LAST WEEK. BOTH BRITISH AND CHINESE DELEGATIONS SAID LATER THAT THE TALKS WERE USEFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE.
5. AN AAP REPORT IN THE CANBERRA TIMES OF 31 JANUARY DISCUSSES QUOTE AUSTRALIA'S SIGNIFICANT INTERESTS IN HONG KONG UNQUOTE AND SAYS THAT QUOTE THEY ARE NOT LIMITED TO DIRECT FINANCIAL INVESTMENT BUT ARE PART OF ITS CONCERN FOR REGIONAL STABILITY, UNQUOTE. QUOTE MIGRATION FROM HONG KONG TO AUSTRALIA HAS STEADILY INCREASED IN THE PAST FEW YEARS UNQUOTE, QUOTE EVENTS IN INDO-CHINA SINCE 1978 HAVE SHOWN THE POTENTIAL FOR REGIONAL DISRUPTION CAUSED BY THE LARGE SCALE AND UNCONTROLLED OUTFLOW OF REFUGEES AND THERE IS CONCERN THAT A LARGE SCALE DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG COULD HAVE A SIMILAR EFFECT UNQUOTE, THE ARTICLE GOES ON TO TALK OF TRADE BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND HONG KONG.
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