GRS 650
CONFIDENTIAL
(OP COPY
291
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 23100OZ FCO
TELNO 2620
OF 230415Z NOVEMBER 85
INFO DESKBY 25010OZ PEKING
HRR 011/1
RECEIVED IN I GISTK
2 9 NOV 1985
MY TELNO 2612 : REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG :
PRESS CONFERENCE BY XU JIATUN
AJB 1/2
1. BY COINCIDENCE XU HAD ARRANGED SOME WEEKS AGO TO HAVE DINNER
LAST NIGHT WITH SIR S Y CHUNG, MISS LYDIA DUNN AND Q W LEE (ALL MEMBERS OF EXCO). THEY HAVE HAD SIMILAR OFF-THE-RECORD DINNERS IN THE PAST. QIAO ZONGHUA, A MEMBER OF THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, WAS ALSO PRESENT.
2. XU COULD NOT WAIT TO GET ON TO THE SUBJECT OF HIS PRESS
CONFERENCE. HE SAID THAT HE RECOGNISED THAT HE DROPPED A BOMB**
Good! HE SEEMED CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECT IT HAD HAD AND LATER ADDED
THAT HE WOULD NOT DO THIS OFTEN.
·
3. HE THEN SET OUT A REMARKABLE LIST OF ISSUES ON WHICH HE SAID THE
CHINESE BELIEVED THAT THEY WERE BEING PUT INTO A CORNER' BY THE
BRITISH. THESE INCLUDED THE MEASURES WHICH WE HAD TAKEN ON
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT: SOME ''ECONOMIC MEASURES'' WHICH HE
COULD NOT SPECIFY INDICATING THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS
PLANNING TO SELL OFF PUBLIC BODIES TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR: THE
PUBLIC REFERENCE TO THE OPTION OF INTERNAL SECURITY FORCE TO
REPLACE THE GARRISON MADE BY THE RETIRING CBF AT HIS PRESS
CONFERENCE EARLIER IN THE YEAR: THE WHITE PAPER ON BRITISH
NATIONALITY: MY ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, BECAUSE
REFERRED TO COMBINING PROGRESS WITH STABILITY INSTEAD OF USING THE
CLASSIC PHRASE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY'': MR RENTON'S PRESS
CONFERENCE BECAUSE IT LOOKED AS THOUGH HMG WERE HANDING OVER TO HONG KONG: THE VISIT MY GALSWORTHY AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO THE
KOWLOON WALLED CITY, AND THE REMARKS MADE BY THE SECRETARY OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION ON IMPROVING CONDITIONS IN IT, WHICH
RAISED THE SENSITIVE ISSUE OF CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY'' AND EVEN
AN ARTICLE IN THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST A FEW DAYS AGO
IDENTIFYING THE RIFT BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA OVER POLITICAL
CHANGES IN HONG KONG (MY TELNO 2587) WHICH HE ATTRIBUTED TO A
BRITISH LEAK.
CONFIDENTIAL
14.