CONFIDENTIAL
JIKKC046
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
0 1 OCT 1984
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PA
Y
>kun
такава гос
GPS350
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY FCO 28113OZ
DD PEKING 2901ODZ
FM HONG KONG 28103OZ SEP 34
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 3078 OF 28 SEPTEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
FUTURE OF HONG KONG : WHITE PAPER ON THE AGREEMENT :
PUBLIC REACTION
IN THE FIRST TWO DAYS FOLLOWING THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER, DISTRICT OFFICES HAVE REPORTED THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC REACTION IS FAVOURABLE. THE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A GOOD DEAL BETTER THAN EXPECTED. (SOME SAY THAT IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.) THE SPECIFIC FEATURE WHICH HAS COME IN FOR FAVOURABLE COMMENT IS THE DETAILED AND COMPREHENSIVE NATURE OF THE AGREEMENT. OTHER POINTS WELCOMED ARE THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE LEGAL AND JUDICIAL SYSTEMS, THE COMMITMENT TO RETAIN EXISTING RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS AND THE PROVISIONS FOR LAND LEASES.
2. HOWEVER SOME ANXIETIES ARE EMERGING. THESE INCLUDE DOUBTS WHETHER CHINA WILL ABIDE BY THE AGREEMENT AND CONCERNS ABOUT THE SCOPE FOR CHINESE INTERFERENCE, FOR EXAMPLE BY THE PLA, AND THROUGH PEKING APPOINTED PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS. IT ALSO BEGINS TO LOOK AS IF THE NATIONALITY PROVISIONS WILL COME IN FOR CRITICISM, OF LESSER CONCERN IS THE COMMENT ON THE LACK OF DETAIL ON THE FUTURE POLITICAL STRUCTURE.
CONFIDENTIAL
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