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013667
MDLIAN 8529
!
WELCOMED THE COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH CHINA. HIS EXCO
COLLEAGUE RITA FAN WELCOMED THE REMARKS IN THE SPEECH ABOUT INFLATION AND THE STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE POLICE FORCE.
8. COVERAGE IN THE LEFT-WING PRESS HAS BEEN UNDERSTATED. ALTHOUGH BOTH WEN WEI PO AND TA KUNG PAO CARRIED THE FULL TEXT OF MR PATTEN'S SPEECH, THEIR REPORTING WAS GENERALLY LOW KEY. NEITHER PAPER CARRIED A COMMENTARY. WE EXPECT TO SEE SIGNED ARTICLES BY EARLY NEXT WEEK AND IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT LINE IS TAKEN. THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE MIGHT WELL BE TO WELCOME THE ASSURANCES ON IMPROVING SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS AND DEVELOPING THE ONE COUNTRY-TWO SYSTEMS CONCEPT. HOWEVER, WE EXPECT SOME DISCOMFORT IN THE LEFT WING CAMP OVER MR PATTEN'S DECLARED DETERMINATION TO REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG
IN DISCUSSIONS WITH LONDON AND PEKING.
PATTEN
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
55
DISTRIBUTION
56
.HONG KONG AGREEMENT
. (RESTRICTED)
HKD
PUSD
FED//HD
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT
.AND MS BROOKS
NEWS D
PLANNERS
RAD
PS/MR
GOODLAD
PS/MR PATTEN
SIR J COLES
MR HUM
ADDITIONAL
1
NO 10//SIR R BRAITHWAITE
N N N N
3
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