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IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 157
OF 250721Z JANUARY 88
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
HKB. 04012
000444
MDHIAN 4844
TOP COPY QDIST ?
MY TELNO 145: PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE ON HONG KONG : CHINESE PRESS
COVERAGE.
1. THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY ENGLISH LANGUAGE BULLETIN ON 21 JANUARY CARRIED THE SAME TEXT AS THAT GIVEN IN PARA 1 OF MY TUR BUT WITH THE
ADDITION OF THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS:
BEGINS:
HOWE SAID THE MAIN FOCUS OF POLITICAL DEBATE IN HONG KONG NOW IS
WHETHER AND WHEN DIRECT ELECTIONS HOULD BE ESTABLISHED FOR ITS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, A LAWMAKING BODY WHOSE MEMBER ARE NOW APPOINTED OR INDIRECTLY ELECTED. HE NOTED THAT OPINIONS ARE SHARPLY DIVIDED AS TO WHETHER OR NOT DIRECT ELECTIONS SHOULD BE INTRODUCED THIS YEAR.
ULTIMATELY, HE INDICATED, HONG KONG WILL HAVE TO DEVELOP A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WHICH FITS ITS OWN REQUIREMENTS RESPECTS THE WISHES OF THE COMMUNITY AND REFLECTS HONG KONG'S SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND
CONDITIONS.
''THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS DETERMINED THAT THE TERRITORY'S
POSITION AND REPUTATION AS A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE SHOULD BE SAFEGUARDED'' HE SAID, ADDING THAT BRITAIN IS WORKING TO ''SUSTAIN CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE, BOTH WITHIN THE TERRITORY ITSELF AND IN THE WIDER INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY''
HOWE TOLD THE HOUSE OF COMMONS THE WATCHWORDS OF THE FUTURE OF HONG
KONG REMAIN ''PROSPERITY AND STABILITY''.
ENDS.
EVANS
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