RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3461
OF 160415Z SEPTEMBER 87
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
RESTRICTED
020/1 (161
065530
MDHIAN 3086
Hut ozoli
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
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HONG KONG AGREEMENT : RESTRICTED : CHINESE POLICY TOWARDS HONG KONG
THE AUGUST ISSUE OF THE WIDE ANGLE MAGAZINE CONTAINED AN ARTICLE, UNDER THE BY-LINE OF CHUNG YIN, WHICH WAS CRITICAL OF CHINESE POLICY TOWARDS HONG KONG. THIS ARTICLE HAS ATTRACTED ATTENTION BECAUSE
THE WIDE ANGLE IS GENERALLY REGARDED AS A PRO-PEKING MAGAZINE.
FULL TEXT AND TRANSLATION OF THE ARTICLE HAVE BEEN FAXED TO YOU. FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS SUMMARISE THE MAIN POINTS.
2. THE ARTICLE TOOK, AS A STARTING POINT, THE STEADY DECLINE OF THE POLITICAL CONFIDENCE INDEX IN HK SINCE EARLY 1985. IT THEN REFERRED TO THE INCREASED EMIGRATION INTENT OF HK PEOPLE AS REVEALED IN RECENT PUBLIC OPINION POLLS. WHILE ALLOWING FOR THE ''INEVITABILITY' OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS THE ARTICLE SAID THAT MUCH OF THE BLAME COULD BE LAID ON THE CHINESE POLICY TOWARDS HK, IN PARTICULAR ON THE IMPRESSION CREATED BY THE CHINESE THAT THEY WERE RENEGING ON THE PROMISES OF HK PEOPLE RULING HK'' AND OF AUTONOMY'' FOR HK.
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HIGH DEGREE
3. THE ARTICLE THEN ANALYSED THE OBJECTIVE CONSTRAINTS ON THE CHINESE POLICY TOWARDS HK, VIZ.
(A) THE GULF BETWEEN HK AND CHINA IN TERMS OF THEIR DIFFERENT SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SYSTEMS, AND IN TERMS OF THEIR DIFFERENT WAYS OF THINKING:
(B) THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR A GREATER DEGREE OF PARTICIPATION BY CHINA IN THE AFFAIRS OF HK, SINCE HK IS STILL UNDER BRITISH ADMINISTRATION: AND
(C) THE ABSENCE OF AN EFFECTIVE CADRE IN HK, IDIOLOGICALLY MOTIVATED TOWARDS THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE CORRECT CHINESE POLICY
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4. RECOGNISING THESE CONSTRAINTS, THE ARTICLE NONETHELESS POINTED OUT THAT THESE WERE NO EXCUSES FOR A MISTAKEN CHINESE POLICY. THE EVIDENCE WAS THAT, IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DEBATE ON THE 1987 REVIEW
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