CONFIDENTIAL
1 ILKK040/23
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OO SINGAPORE
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CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 221850Z FEB 84
TO IMMEDIATE SINGAPORE
TELEGRAM NUMBER 46 OF 22 FEBRUARY
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FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF DEPT
WAS RECEIVED FROM HONG KONG TELNO 487 OF 22 FEB
INFO PEKING
FUTURE OF HONG KONG ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC OPINION
FOLLOWING IS OUR FEBRUARY ASSESSMENT AS PROMISED IN HADDON-CAVE'S
LETTER TO CLIFT OF 23 JANUARY YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS A
HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE EXERCISE AND WE WOULD NOT WISH IT TO BE TAKEN
AS NECESSARILY DEFINITIVE. WE SHALL UPDATE IT MONTHLY.
See 10
GENERAL
1. MORE AND MORE THINKING PEOPLE NOW CONSIDER IT INEVITABLE THAT
ONLY POSSIBLE BASIS FOR A SOLUTION IS THE RESUMPTION OF SOVEREIGNTY
AND ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL OVER HONG KONG BY CHINA ON 1997. THIS
IS FOR THE MOST PART A CONCLUSION TO WHICH PEOPLE ARE RESIGNED IN
THE FACE OF THE PRESSURE OF CHINESE STATEMENTS RATHER THAN THE
RESULT OF ANY GREAT FAITH IN THE CHINESE PLAN, BUT CHINESE GOVERN-
MENT REPRESENTATIVES IN HONG KONG ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO REASSURE
HONG KONG PEOPLE THAT THIS NEED NOT DAMAGE THEIR LONG-TERM INTEREST.
THE NCNA ARE ACTIVELY CULTIVATING LEADING MEMBERS OF THE CHINESE
COMMUNITY REGARDLESS OF THEIR POLITICAL LEANINGS AND ASSURING
THEM THAT CHINA WISHES HONG KONG TO REMAIN STABLE AND PROSPEROUS
AND WILL ALLOW A HIGH DEGREE OF ADMINISTRATIVE AUTONOMY ONCE FORMAL
LINKS WITH BRITAIN HAVE DISAPPEARED. THE CHINESE MESSAGE INCREASING-
LY CARRIES THE IMPLICATION THAT THE BRITISH ARE CONCERNED MAINLY
TO PROTECT THEIR OWN INTERESTS AND THAT FOLLOWING SEPTEMBER 1984
IMPORTANT AND DETAILED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE WILL LARGELY
BE BETWEEN PEKING AND THE HONG KONG CHINESE. (XU JIANTUN DIRECTOR
OF THE NCNA SAID ON 16 FEBRUARY THAT CHINA WANTED HONG KONG PEOPLE
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CONFIDENTIAL