15
ROUTINE
UNCLASSIFIED
FM LOS ANGELES
TO ROUTINE WASHINGTON
TELNO 21
OF 250035Z MAY
HKB 020/14
| RECEIVED IN D
DEMONSTRATIONS IN PEKING
1. MA YUZHEN,
HOTRY
05 JUN 1989
SK OFFICEA
RA
HKD FOO нко,
by fox FED FRO
MA YUZHEN, THE CHINESE CONSUL GENERAL IN LOS ANGELES (WHO WAS AT ONE TIME HEAD OF THE INFORMATION DEPARTMENT IN THE FOREIGN MINISTRY IN PEKING) SPOKE TO THE CONSULAR CORPS ASSOCIATION IN LOS ANGELES ON 23 MAY.
2. THE EVENT HAD BEEN ARRANGED SOME TIME AGO. HE SAID HE HAD NO OFFICIAL WORD ABOUT THE PRESENT SITUATION IN PEKING. HOWEVER HE THOUGHT THAT WHATEVER THE OUTCOME THERE WAS BOUND TO BE SOME MOVEMENT TOWARDS A GREATER INVOLVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE. HE DID NOT THINK IT WOULD BE MODELLED ON THE WESTERN FORM OF DEMOCRACY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO TRADITION TO SUPPORT THIS AND HE STRESSED THAT ONE-FIFTH OF THE POPULATION WERE ILLITERATE.
متبق
25/5
рарт
3. MR MAY SAID THE PRESENT AND PREVIOUS GOVERNMENTS HAD MADE PROGRESS BUT HE THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME VALIDITY IN THE STUDENTS VIEW THAT FURTHER PROGRESS SHOULD BE FASTER AND THAT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CORRUPTION NEEDED TO BE DEALT WITH. HE SAID WA UNABLE TO COMMENT ON THE POSITION OF SECRETARY
ZHAO ZIYANG BUT SAID HE HAD GREAT RESPECT FOR MR ZHAO.
GENER
се
4.
MA WAS AS ABOUT HONG KONG. HE SAID HONG KONG WAS VERY IMPORTANT TU CHINA AS ITS MAIN SOURCE OF INVESTMENT AND FUREIGN EXCHANGE AND IT WAS IN THE PRC'S INTEREST TO STAND BY THE ANGLO-CHINESE DECLARATION ON THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY. HE ALSO SAID THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PRC KNEW THE PEOPLE OF TAIWAN WOULD BE WATCHING CLOSELY TO SEE HOW WELL THE AGREEMENT WAS HONOURED AFTER 1997. THIS COULD BE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE EVENTUAL REUNIFICATION OF TAIWAN WITH THE PRC.
5.
MR MA EMPHASIZED THAT HE WAS EXPRESSING PERSONAL OPINIONS. ONLY MEMBERS OF THE CONSULAR CORPS WERE PRESENT.
I
HOLLOWAY
DISTRIBUTION
CHANCERY LIMITED
ACTION OFFICER MK PRENTICE
KRC
30/5
UNCLASSIFIED
L