CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 02012
28
000571 MDHOAN 5937
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING TELNO 661
OF 2118OOZ JUNE 91
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO IMMEDIATE TOKYO
TOP COPY O DIST
TOKYO TELNO 505: JAPAN/HONG KONG
1.
LI PENG HAS UNDOUBTEDLY MADE A NUMBER OF UNHELPFUL
STATEMENTS IN PRIVATE ABOUT HONG KONG (THE MOST RECENT REPORTED IN YOUR TELNO 163, NOT TO ALL), AND HAS MADE SOME GENERAL STATEMENTS OF CHINESE POLICY (EG POST-TIANANMEN) WHICH WILL HAVE DAMAGED CONFIDENCE, BOTH IN HONG KONG AND IN THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. BUT FROM OUR RESEARCHES SO FAR HIS PUBLIC COMMENTS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT HONG KONG TEND TOWARDS THE BLAND RATHER THAN THE NEGATIVE.
2. ON THE OTHER HAND WE COULD FIND A NUMBER OF EXAMPLES OF UNHELPFUL PUBLIC STATEMENTS BY OTHER CHINESE OFFICIALS (NOTABLY WU XUEQIAN'S CLAIM OF 15 JANUARY THAT ONLY CHINA COULD SPEAK FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG). BEFORE WE ASK SIR G HOWE WHAT HE HAD IN MIND, GRATEFUL TO KNOW IF ACTION ADDRESSEES ARE AWARE OF ANY SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF NEGATIVE PUBLIC STATEMENTS ABOUT HONG KONG BY LI PENG.
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20
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20
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HKD
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CONFIDENTIAL