GR 1500
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL UKK0402925
RECEIVED IN ?
(૩
FM HONG KONG 06085OZ JUL 84
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1849 OF 6 JULY
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
FOR CLIFT, HKD.
10 JUL 1984
G STR Action faéf
1 AFB 23/2018 2317
UR TELNO 1685: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PUBLIC OPINION.
1. AS FAR AS HONG KONG OPINION IS CONCERNED, THE PAST FORTNIGHT
HAS BEEN DOMINATED BY THE VISIT TO PEKING FROM 21-25 JUNE BY
SIR S.Y. CHUNG, MISS LYDIA DUNN AND MR Q.W. LEE. THEY SUBSEQUENTLY
TOLD HONG KONG JOURNALISTS THAT THEY HAD PUT THREE PROPOSALS TO THE CHINES:
(A) THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT SHOULD BE DETAILED AND BINDING.
(B) THE BASIC LAW SHOULD BE DRAFTED JOINTLY IN HONG KONG BY LOCAL
PEOPLE AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM PEKING.
(C) A COMMITTEE OF INTERNATIONALLY PROMINENT CHINESE PEOPLE SHOULD
MONITOR THE DRAFTING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BASIC LAW.
2. THIS VISIT WAS SOURED BY THE DISOBLIGING RECEPTION THEY RECEIVED FROM DENG XIAOPING, WHICH WAS PROMINENTLY REPORTED IN HONG KONG AS
A DELIBERATE SNUB. THIS WAS IN TURN FOLLOWED BY PUBLIC DISAGREEMENT
ABOUT WHAT DENG HAD SAID ABOUT THE STATE OF CONFIDENUCE IN HONG
KONG: THE UNOFFICIALS CLAIMED HE HAD SAID THERE WAS NO CRISIS OF
CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG, WHILE NCNA DENIED THIS AND TOOK THE UNPRECEDINTED STEP OF ISSUING A TRANSCRIPT OF THE CONVERSATION.
3. THE UNOFFICIALS' VISIT OVERLAPPED A VISIT BY THE DELEGATION
FROM THE HONG KONG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, AND THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES, NOTED
IN PARAGRAPH 10 OF OUR TEL UNDER REF. THIS WAS ARRANGED BY THE
CHINESE AT VERY SHORT NOTICE, TO UPSTAGE THE UNOFFICIALS. THE DELEGATES CALLED ON THE INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE BUREAU, AND STRESSED THE LACK OF BUSINESS CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG AND THE NEED FOR THE
CHINESE TO GIVE SPECIFIC AND DETAILED ASSURANCES FOR THE CONTINUATION OF PRESENT SYSTEMS, LAWS AND PRACTICES. THE DELEGATION
ALSO HAD AN UNEXPECTED ONE AND A HALF HOUR MEETING ON 22 JUNE WITH
DENG XIAOPING. THEY TOLD HIM OF THE CONFIDENCE CRISIS IN HONG KONG
AND THE CONCERN THAT PRESENT CHINESE POLICIES MIGHT CHANGE IN
FUTURE YEARS, CITING THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION AND THE GANG OF FOUR.
DENG MADE A POINT OF RESPONDING AMIABLY AND REASONABLY, IN MARKED CONTRAST TO HIS TREATMENT OF THE THREE UNOFFICIALS THE FOLLOWING
DAY. HE EMPHASISED THAT CHINA MEANT WHAT IT SAID ABOUT ITS POLICIES
FOR HONG KONG.
CONFIDENTIAL
/4.
4. THE REPORTED
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