GRS 450
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 22120OZ FCO TELMO 2613
CONFIDENTIAL
OF 22102OZ NOVEMBER 85
INFO DESKBY 22120OZ PEKING
HKK 104/3
ACEIVED IN REGISTRY
25 NOV 1985
12
TOP COPY
SISTAY
Lion Taken
25/11
PRESS CONFERENCE BY XU JIATUN, DIRECTOR OF HONG KONG BRANCH OF THE NCNA.
1. AS REPORTED IN MY 1.P.T. REPORTS OF XU'S REMARKS ARE THE FRONT PAGE LEAD IN ALL PAPERS TODAY. THIS WAS XU'S FIRST FORMAL PRESS BRIEFING IN HONG KONG. HE INDICATED PRETTY CLEARLY, IF INDIRECTLY, CHINESE CONCERNS ABOUT THE PACE AND CONTENT OF MOVES TOWARDS MORE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WHICH HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED PREVIOUSLY ONLY IN PRIVATE OR THROUGH INSPIRED PRESS ARTICLES.
2. THE COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERS HAVE PUBLISHED A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF XU'S REMARKS, INCLUDING HIS OPENING STATEMENT. THIS IS BEING TRANSLATED AND IS BEING SENT BY FACSIMILE TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT LONDON OFFICE, WHO WILL BE ASKED TO PASS ON TO YOU.
3. THE MAIN POINTS MADE BY XU ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AND THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD ARE AS FOLLOWS:
(A) SCRUPULOUS OBSERVANCE OF THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.
(B) IN CERTAIN RESPECTS THERE WAS ALREADY A TENDENCY TO DEVIATE FROM THE PRINCIPLES OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, AND THIS COULD NOT BE IGNORED. XU DECLINED TO ELABORATE.
(C) THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD NO OBLIGATIONS TOWARDS THE MOVES TOWARDS REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT INTRODUCED BY THE BRITISH SIDE. XU BELIEVED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER THIS SITUATION WISELY AND RESPONSIBLY.
4
(D) THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT AFTER 1997 WAS A MATTER FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, WHICH WOULD DRAW UP THE BASIC LAW IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION.
(E) THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT DID NOT AGREE WITH THE NOTION THAT THERE SHOULD BE GREAT CHANGES FOR 12 YEARS AND NO CHANGE FOR 50 YEARS. SOME CHANGES WOULD BE REQUIRED, BUT THESE SHOULD BE INTRODUCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLES OUTLINED IN THE JOINT. DECLARATION.
CONFIDENTIAL
/(F)