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INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
HKB 020,
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HONG KONG FOR GOVERNOR/POLAD.
INTERNATIONALISATION OF HONG KONG.
SUMMARY.
1. PEOPLE'S DAILY OF 20 NOVEMBER CARRIED AN EDITORIAL SHARPLY
CRITICAL OF BRITISH ATTEMPTS TO INTERNATIONALISE THE HONG KONG QUESTION. THE EDITORIAL SO FAR HAS NOT (NOT) BEEN CARRIED IN
THE PEOPLE'S DAILY OVERSEAS EDITION.
DETAIL.
2.
THE PEOPLE'S DAILY ON 20 NOVEMBER CARRIED AN EDITORIAL SHARPLY
CRITICAL OF BRITISH ATTEMPTS TO INTERNATIONALISE HONG KONG. THE ARTICLE, ENTITLED ''PLOT TO INTERNATIONALISE THE HONG KONG QUESTION CANNOT SUCCEED' WAS WRITTEN BY RONG SHIPING.
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3. THE EDITORIAL CLAIMED THAT, RECENTLY, SENIOR BRITISH OFFICIALS HAD USED THE SO-CALLED CONFIDENCE CRISIS IN HONG KONG TO ADVOCATE INTERNATIONALISING THE HONG KONG QUESTION, AND SO TO PLAY THE ''INTERNATIONALISATION CARD''. THESE OFFICIALS CLAIMED THAT ALTHOUGH THE JD HAD SETTLED THE SOVEREIGNTY QUESTION, THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE REMAINED UNSETTLED.
SINCE HONG KONG WAS A MULTI-NATIONAL CENTRE IT OUGHT TO BECOME AN
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC CENTRE INSULATED FROM MAINLAND CHINA. SOME PEOPLE HAD EVEN ADVOCATED HONG KONG BECOMING A MEMBER OR ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH. THE BRITISH SIDE HAD INCITED OTHER COUNTRIES TO GET INVOLVED IN HONG KONG'S AFFAIRS,
USING THEIR SUPPORT TO PUT PRESSURE ON CHINA.
4.
CHINA REJECTED THE INTERNATIONALISATION OF HONG KONG. HONG KONG WAS CHINESE TERRITORY, THE VAST MAJORIAY OF ITS CITIZENS WERE CHINESE NATIONALS AND THE CHINESE PEOPLE HAD FOUGHT
FOR A LONG TIME TO REUNITE HONG KONG WITH THE MAINLAND. CHINA RECOGNISED THAT HONG KONG WAS A MAJOR ECONOMIC CENTRE WHERE PEOPLE
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