ZCZC
BPLNAN 0784
UNCLASSIFIED
TT FCOLN
TT HOKON
HACK RECEIVED IN
- 4 DEC 1985
TT PEKIN
FM BONNN TO FCOLN
INDEX
FA
...
261739Z NOV
GRS 200
UNCLASSIFIED
FM BONN
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER NFR
OF 261739Z NOVEMBER 85
INFO TELELETTER HONG KONG, PEKING
FROM:
DE LYSCOM, BONN
FOLLOWING, FOR: W EHRMAN ESQ, HKD, FCO
COPIED TO:
CHANCERY HONG KONG, PEKING
1711/26 (355)
Y
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
1. YOU MIGHT WISH TO BE AWARE THAT THE **WARNING" BY XU JIATUN, HEAD OF THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY, TO HMG NOT DRASTICALLY TO CHANGE THE INTERNAL POLITICAL SYSTEM OF HONG KONG BEFORE 1997 HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE GERMAN PRESS ALONG LINES VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE IN
THE BRITISH PRESS.
T
2. ''DIE WELT'' HAS A REPORT BY JOCHEN HEHN, DATELINED HONG KONG, HEADED HONG KONG: CONCERN ABOUT PEKING'S WARNING. IT NOTES THAT PEKING'S LINE PUTS HMG INTO A DIFFICULT POSITION. IF THEY STOP THE DEMOCRATISATION PROCESS IN RESPONSE TO PRESSURE FROM PEKING THEY WILL LOSE AUTHORITY AND AWAKEN FEARS IN HONG KONG THAT THE GOVERNOR IS MERELY A CARETAKER UNTIL THE CHINESE TAKE OVER FULLY. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES THAT THE ONLY VICTIMS IN THIS AFFAIR ARE THE HONG KONG PEOPLE THEMSELVES WHO FACE A LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN THEIR FUTURE.
3. HANDELSBLATT, DATELINED HONG KONG, 25 NOVEMBER, REPORTS IN A SIMILAR VEIN, BUT STRESSES THE EFFECT XU JIATUN'S PRESS CONFERENCE HAS HAD ON THE STOCK MARKET. HANDELSBLATT ALSO NOTES THAT EVEN THE BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE HAS FELT THE NEED TO COMMENT AND THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS LET IT KNOWN THAT HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT XU JIATUN WAS
ALLUDING TO IN HIS REMARKS. ·
SIGNED D E LYSCOM
YYYY
BPLNAN 0784
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