GRS 700
CONFIDE
IDENTI
NTIAL
Lea
MKK040/25
RECEIVE
AEGISTRY
CONFIDENTIAL CO7 SEP 1984
FM HONG KONG 14113OZ SEP 84
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 2834 OF 14 SEPTEMBER
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
DESK OFFICEA
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
1GR 28/1
OUR TELNO. 2493. FUTURE OF HONG KONG : REPORT ON PUBLIC OPINION.
147
THE MOOD REMAINS STABLE AND PATIENT WITH AN UNDER CURRENT OF UNDERSTANDABLE NERVOUSNESS. WITH THE END OF THE TALKS KNOWN TO BE
IMMINENT, PEOPLE ARE WAITING ANXIOUSLY FOR THE EXPECTED ANNOUNCEME- NT. MANY PEOPLE REMAIN CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC THAT THE AGREEMENT WILL
CONTAIN BINDING ASSURANCES ON THE TOPICS KNOWN TO BE UNDER DISCUSSION (E.G. LAND TENURE AND NATIONALITY.) VARIOUS INDEPENDENT CHINESE LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS HAVE RECENTLY CARRIED CAUTIOUS EDITORIALS. ONE SAID THAT PEOPLE STILL LACK CONFIDENCE IN CHINESE PROMISES OF 50 YEARS WITHOUT CHANGE. ANOTHER SAID THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO SEE WHETHER CHINA KEPT ITS WORD AFTER DENG
XIAOPING'S DEPARTURE FROM THE SCENE.
2. WHILE MOST LEADING BUSINESSMEN AND INDUSTRIALISTS ARE PUBLICLY OPTIMISTIC, MANY HAVE TAKEN OUT INSURANCE, EITHER BY LAYING CONTING- ENCY PLANS FOR EMIGRATION, OR BY MAKING UP TO THE CHINESE, OR BOTH. MOST SEEM TO HAVE DECIDED TO STAY FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS TO SEE HOW
THINGS TURN OUT.
3. THE CURRENT VISIT TO HONG KONG BY DENG PUFANG, THE PARAPLEGIC SON OF DENG XIAOPING, HAS AROUSED GREAT LOCAL INTEREST. WHILE HE IS PRINCIPALLY HERE TO STUDY HONG KONG'S POLICY TOWARDS PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE, COMMENTATORS HAVE TAKEN IT FOR GRANTED THAT HE WILL REPORT HIS MORE GENERAL FINDINGS TO HIS FATHER.
PUBLIC SERVICE
4. CHINA'S EFFORTS TO REASSURE THE PUBLIC SERVICE CONTINUE. TWO GRO- UPS REPRESENTING HONG KONG CIVIL SERVANTS HAVE VISITED PEKING DURING THE PAST MONTH, AND HAVE BEEN ASSURED THAT CIVIL SERVANTS WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE WORKING AFTER 1997 WITH NO CHANGE IN TERMS OF SERV- ICE, AND WILL RECEIVE PENSIONS AS BEFORE. BOTH GROUPS RETURNED HERE REASONABLY SATISFIED, THOUGH SOME MEMBERS HAVE EXPRESSED DISAPPOINT- MENT PRIVATELY AT THE BLANDNESS OF THE ASSURANCES THEY WERE GIVEN.
5. MORALE AMONG CIVIL SERVANTS REMAINS GENERALLY SATISFACTORY, THOUGH LIKE EVERYONE ELSE THEY TOO ARE WAITING ANXIOUSLY FOR THE TERMS OF THE FINAL AGREEMENT. AT A RECENT ANNUAL MEETING OF LOCAL POLICE INSPECTORS, THERE WAS WIDESPREAD IMPATIENCE AT THE CONTINUING LACK OF RESPONSE TO APPLICATIONS FOR BRITISH CITIZENSHIP.
CONFIDENTIAL
/REPRESENTATIVE