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DESKBY 12120OZ FCO
FM PEKING 12100OZ JAN 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 58 OF 12 JANUARY
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
MIKKO40l. l
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
།
1984
HONG KONG TELNO 72 AND YOUR TELNO 45: FUTURE OF HONG KONGH
SPEECH BY XU JIATUN
1. THE ACCUNT OF XU'S SPEECH IN FIRST TUR SUGGESTS THAT DIFFERENCES FROM EARLIER NON-PUBLIC STATEMENTS ARE MINIMAL. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE A DETAILED COMPARISON WITH
PAST PUBLIC STATEMENTS BUT WE SHARE YOUR INITIAL IMPRESSION. 2. POINT (D) OF FIRST TUR MIGHT BE ENCOURAGING, IN THAT THE STATEMENT IS APPARENTLY UNQUALIFIED AND NO DISTINCTION IS DRAWN BETWEEN OFFICIALS AND ADVISERS BUT IT WOULD BE VERY UNWISE TO BUILD ANYTHING ON THIS UNLESS IT IS CONFIRMED HERE. ELSEWHERE THERE ARE SOME MINOR DIFFERENCES, FOR EXAMPLE THE REFERENCE TO THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM RATHER THAN THE BASIC LAW PEMAINING UNCHANGED FOR 50 YEARS (D) AND THE FORMULATION OF THE VARIOUS FREEDOMS (K), BUT WE SUSPECT THAT THESE ARE NUANCES OF THE SPEECH TEXT AND DO NOT REPRESENT ANY SHIFT OF CHINESE POLICY. XUTHAS IN THE PAST BEEN OUT ON A LIMB, AND PRECISION IS NOT IN ANY CASE A CHINESE VIRTUE.
m
GALSWORTHY
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
HD/PLANNING STAFF
HD/PUSD
D/HD/PUSD (MR FLOWER)
RES.D. (MR WALKER)
LEGAL ADVISER (SIR IAN SINCLAIR
PS
PS/LADY YOUNG
PS/MR LUCE
PS/PUS
SIR J BULLARD
MR DONALD
MR WRIGHT
SIR C TICKELL
COPIES TO:
BUCKINGHAM PALACE
PS/LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL PS/HOME SECRETARY
PS/CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
PS/LORD PRIVY SEAL
PS/SECRETARY FOR TRADE & INDUSTRY
COPIES TO: (VIA ADR)
MR ROBERTS
NEWS DA
MR BURROWS LEGAL ADVS
MR COLES NO 10 DOWNING ST
SIR A PARSONS NO 10 DOWNING ST.
MR MARTIN ASSESSMENT STAFF CABINET OFFICE
MR GOODALL CABINET OFFICE
MR BRENNAN CABINET OFFICE PS/S OF S FOR DEFENCE D PS/ATTORNEY GENERAL
SIR P CRADOCK RM WH MZ 21
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