RESTRICTED
117674
MDHIAN 5974
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1680
F 231145Z MAY 89
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO BRUSSELS
INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA
INFO SAVING HKGO SAN FRANCISCO
PRESS COVERAGE OF EVENTS IN PEKING AND HONG KONG REACTIONS
SUMMARY
1.
THE STUDENT MOVEMENT IN PEKING AND THE SUPPORT ACTIONS TAKEN BY
HK PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING MASSIVE NEWS AND PICTORIAL COVERAGE IN THE MEDIA, INCLUDING THE LEFT-WING PAPERS. THE PAPERS HAVE ALSO REPEATED AND COMMENTED ON MANY UNSUBSTANTIATED RUMOURS ABOUT
ACTIVITIES OF THE MILITARY AND OF THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP. THE COMMUNIST WEN WEI PAO HAS SUPPORTED THE STUDENTS AND OPPOSED A MILITARY CRACKDOWN.
REACTIONS IN HONG KONG
2"
ON 20 MAY THE PAPERS REPORTED THAT SEVEN HK DELEGATES TO THE NPC HAD SENT AN URGENT CABLE TO DENG XIAOPING, EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERN AND ANXIETY ABOUT THE SITUATION IN PEKING. XU JIATUN VISITED
THE LOCAL STUDENTS WHO WERE STAGING A HUNGER STRIKE OUTSIDE THE NCNA OFFICE, THE PAPERS REPORTED. HE TOLD THE STUDENTS THAT HE WOULD REFLECT THEIR VIEWS TO PEKING THROUGH VARIOUS CHANNELS AND URGED
THEM TO STOP FASTING. THE PAPERS REPORTED THAT SHARE PRICES FELL
SHARPLY ON FRIDAY BECAUSE OF WORRIES OVER THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN CHINA. THE HANG SENG INDEX PLUMMETED 132.8 POINTS, WHICH WAS THE BIGGEST SINGLE-DAY DROP SINCE THE STOCK MARKET CRAST IN OCTOBER 1987.
URGED CHINA TO EXERCISE
3. MANY PAPERS REPORTED THAT THE US HAD RESTRAINT IN DEALING WITH THE DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT IN PEKING. IT HOPED THAT IT WAS STILL POSSIBLE FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO OPEN
A DIALOGUE WITH THE STUDENTS. SOME PAPERS QUOTED AN FCO SPOKESMAN
AS SAYING IN REPLY TO ENQUIRIES THAT THE SITUATION IN PEKING WOULD
NOT AFFECT THE JOINT DECLARATION.