GRS 2000
SECRET
SECRET IKK040/23
13 APR 134
FM HONG KONG 12090OZ APR 84
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1015 OF 12 APRIL
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
14.25
л
141719
YOUR TELNO 625: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC
OPINION.
GENERAL
IN ASSESSING THE PROGRESS OF NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND
CHINA ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE DEPEND ALMOST WHOLLY ON
STATEMENTS,, HINTS AND INDICATIONS FROM CHINESE SOURCES, AND ON
OPECULATIVE PRESS REPORTS. ACCORDING TO THE CHINESE VERSION, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS NOW CONCEDED SOVEREIGNTY AND RIGHTS OF
ADMIN STRATION OVER THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG WITH EFFECT FROM 1997, AS MR. WU MOST RECENTLY CLAIMED IN AUSTRIA. IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY
REGULAR OFFICIAL PROGRESS REPORTS, HONG KONG PEOPLE HAVE LITTLE
ALTERNATIVE BUT TO BELIEVE WHAT THE CHINESE PUT OUT, ESPECIALLY AS
IT IS RARELY CONTRADICTED OR DENIED. (THEY REMEMBER THAT MURRAY SAYLES'S ARTICLE IN THE SUNDAY TIMES ON 23 JANUARY ALSO WENT
UNDENIED: HONG KONG TELNO. 467, PARAGRAPH 2.)
2. THERE IS INCREASING RESENTMENT AGAINST WHAT IS SEEN AS THE
SELF-IMPOSED HANDICAP OF ONE-SIDED CONFIDENTIALITY, AND A MOUNTING FEELING THAT IT IS TIME FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO REVEAL
SOMETHING OF WHAT IS BEING DISCUSSED. MR. ALLEN LEE HAS SAID THAT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL UNOFFICIALS ARE FRUSTRATED AT BEING KEPT IN
THE DARK ON THE PROGRESS OF THE TALKS. SIR S.Y. CHUNG HAS SAID THAT
HONG KONG IS SUFFERING FROM A CONFIDENCE CRISIS BECAUSE OF THE
UNCERTAINTY OF ITS POLITICAL FUTURE. TODAY'S SOUTH CHINA MORNING
POST REFLECTS THE GEMERAL MOOD IN SAYING THAT HONG KONG IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY ANXIOUS AND ALARMED, AND THAT IT IS TIME TO LIFT THE
VEIL ON CONFIDENTIALITY AND GIVE THE PUBLIC SOME IDEA OF WHAT IS
BEING DISCUSSED AND WHAT PROGRESS IS BEING MADE.
3. THERE IS A WIDESPREAD EXPECTATION THAT YOUR VISIT WILL LEAD TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS IN STORE FOR HONG KONG. THERE WAS INITIAL RESENTMENT THAT YOU CANNOT VISIT HONG KONG ON YOUR WAY TO
PEKING AS WELL AS AFTERWARDS. BUT THE RECENT EXCO VISIT TO LONDON
HAS GONE SOME WAY TO ASSUAGE LOCAL OPINION THAT YOU WILL BE AWARE OF
HONG KONG CONCERNS WHEN YOU GO TO PEKING.
4. CHINESE OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO WORK HARD TO CULTIVATE LOCAL CHINESE RESIDENTS AND TO ASSURE THEM THAT THEIR INTERESTS WILL NOT SUFFER. XU JIATUN CONTINUES TO SEEK TO CONVEY THE IMPRESSION OF BEING AM
ALTERNATIVE SCURCE OF AUTHORITY. THERE IS WIDESPREAD DISTRUST OF
THE COMMUNISTS. THINKING PEOPLE ARE WORRIED THAT THE CHINESE PLAN
SECRET
DEPENDS
15