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INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO BRUSSELS, HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA
for
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP.
SUMMARY:
1.
THE RESHUFFLE OF THE BRITISH CABINET, EVENTS RELATING TO THE RESUMPTION OF II REPATRIATION AND CALLS FOR THE DISBANDING OF THE ALL HK ALLIANCE WERE TOP STORIES IN THE MEDIA DURING THE WEEK. NEWS RELATING TO THE FUTURE POLITICAL STRUCTURE AND THE BASIC LAW CONTINUED TO DRAW GOOD COVERAGE IN THE MEDIA.
2. THE MEDIA (28 29.10) ACCORDED PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THE BRITISH CABINET RESHUFFLE. OMELCO MEMBERS, ACADEMICS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS INTERVIEWED BY THE MEDIA EXPECTED NO MAJOR CHANGES TO BRITISH POLICY TOWARDS HK, ALTHOUGH SOME OF THEM WERE WORRIED THAT THE RESHUFFLE MIGHT CAUSE A FURTHER DELAY IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF A NATIONALITY PACKAGE FOR HK PEOPLE. SOME OF THEM SAID THAT THE NEW FOREIGN SECRETARY, DOUGLAS HURD, WHO WAS WELL-VERSED IN CHINESE AFFAIRS, MIGHT TAKE A FIRMER STAND TOWARDS CHINA.
3. SING PAO(28.10) CALLED ON BRITAIN NOT TO DELAY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ITS PLANNED POLICY TOWARDS HK, INCLUDING THE EARLY INTRODUCTION OF MANDATORY REPATRIATION FOR VBP AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF A NATIONALITY PACKAGE FOR HK PEOPLE. THE HK ECONOMIC TIMES (30.10) SAID THAT THE NEW FOREIGN SECRETARY WOULD FOLLOW HIS PREDECESSOR SIR GEOFFREY HOWE'S WAY OF DEALING WITH CHINA OVER THE HK QUESTION AND THAT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA WOULD MAINLY BE DISCUSSED AT THE JLG.
4.
CHINA HAD REPEATEDLY ACCUSED BRITAIN OF INTERNATIONALISING THE HK QUESTION DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY AND CHINESE PRIME MINISTER LI PENG RE- ITERATED THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION WAS A MATTER BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN AND THAT NO OTHER COUNTRY SHOULD INTERVENE.