GRS 1700
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 345
OF 31105OZ JANUARY 86
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TOP COPY
AB
MIPT.
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT : PRESS STORIES:
MIRROR MAGAZINE ARTICLE.
HKR 0111
RECUTE.
NOFGISTRY
03 FEB 1986
CAR
PA
1. THE JANUARY ISSUE OF MIRROR' MAGAZINE CONTAINED A-FURTHER ARTICLE ON HONG KONG'S POLITICAL STRUCTURE BY KOO SING-FAI, THE THIRD - AND WORST WITHIN TWO MONTHS ON THE SAME SUBJECT BY THE SAME AUTHOR. FOLLOWING IS OUR SUMMARY.
2. BEGINS. CHINA AND BRITAIN HAVE AGREED TO DISCUSS COMPATIBILITY OF THE REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM AND THE BASIC LAW. THE JLG WILL MEET IN HONG KONG IN MARCH AND DISCUSS THE TRANSFER OF POWER. BRITAIN HAD HOPED THAT THE SUBJECT OF THE FUTURE POLITICAL SYSTEM COULD BE RESOLVED IN HONG KONG IN REGULAR AND NON-BINDING DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND XU JIATUN. HOWEVER THE CHINESE MAINTAINED THAT IT SHOULD BE HANDLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION AND FIRST DISCUSSED AT THE JLG. THE BRITISH SIDE ACCEPTED THIS VIEW AND DAD
NOT STICK TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION.
3. CHINA'S ADHERANCE TO THE JOINT DECLARATION DEMONSTRATED HER SINCERITY. CHINA'S TACTICS HAD BEEN WISE.
4. EARLIER, THE BRITISH PUSHED EVERYTHING ON TO HONG KONG AS IF THEY THEMSELVES HAD NO RESPONSIBILITY. LONDON CLAIMED TO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. IN FACT THEY
WERE WELL AWARE. IN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S GREEN PAPER AND WHITE PAPEP ITS OFFICIALS OPENLY OUTLINED THEIR BLUEPRINT. WERE
THE ISSUE RAISED, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD INVOKE ''PUBLIC OPINION''.
5. AFTER RECALLING XU JIATUN'S PRESS CONFERENCE THE ARTICLE SAYS THAT A SIMILAR (SIC) PRESS BRIEFING WAS ARRANGED AT THE BRITISH EMBASSY SHORTLY AFTER JLG 1. THE BRITISH WANTED PEKING TO INITIATE DISCUSSIONS WITH HONG KONG ON THE ONE HAND AND WANTED THEMSELVES TO PLAY THE PUBLIC OPINION CARD ON THE OTHER. IT WAS A WELL THOUGHT OUT
PLAN TO CREATE CONFLICT BETWEEN PEKING AND THE HONG KONG PEOPLE.
6. ''USING DEMOCRACY TO COUNTER THE COMMUNISTS'' IS A GIMMICK,
ONE OPPOSED BY MANY RIGHT THINKING PEOPLE. THE INVOC TION OF
''DEMOCRACY' IS A FRONT: THE PUPPOSE IS TO SEPARATE HONG KONG
FROM CHINA: TO FORM A PRO-BRITISH AND POLITICALLY INDEPNDENT ENTITY:
TO MAKE THE SAP AN AUTONOMOUS PEGION IN THE COMMONWEALTH: AND TO
PROMOTE LOCALISM AND SEPARATISM.
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