UNCLASSIFIED
HKB 301/2
p.a. Pher Ronadays
155204
MDLIAN 1237
REC
F
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1331
OF 140545Z AUGUST 93
10:13
IN:
PA
*
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO PRIORITY FCO, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT : QIN WENJUN'S REMARKS: PRESS REPORTS (14 AUGUST)
THE MEETING OF LOCAL CPPCC DELEGATES AT THE NCNA HK BRANCH ON 13.8.93 WAS ACCORDED PROMINENT COVERAGE. NCNA LOCAL VICE-DIRECTOR QIN WENJUN READ A DOCUMENT FROM THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AT THE MEETING AND INDICATED THAT DENG XIAOPING'S REMARKS TO MRS THATCHER IN 1982 WERE NOW RELEASED TO WARN THE BRITISH SIDE AGAINST CREATING CONFUSION DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD. THE MAIN POINTS OF DENG'S REMARKS (AS RELAYED BY QIN) WERE AS FOLLOWS:
CHINA WOULD NOT COMMENT ON QUESTION OF SOVEREIGNTY
OVER HONG KONG AND WOULD RESUME FULL SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997: SHOULD CHINA GIVE IN OVER THIS QUESTION, THE GOVERNEMT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FACE THE PUBLIC AND MIGHT EVEN TOPPLE.
- THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD LISTEN TO THE VIEW OF THE BRITISH
SIDE OVER WAYS TO PRESERVE THE PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG IF THESE
DID NOT INVOLVE THE QUESTION OF SOVEREIGNTY.
- THE CHINESE SIDE FORESAW THAT ON RESUMING SOVEREIGNTY OF HK, SOME
DISTURBANCES MIGHT EMERGE BUT THE CHINESE SIDE CONSIDERED THAT THESE COULD BE DEALT WITH. THESE DISTURBANCES MIGHT BE CAUSED BY CHINESE OR FOREIGNERS, ESPECIALLY THE BRITISH. CHINA WAS WILLING TO DISCUSS WITH BRITAIN HOW TO AVOID SUCH DISTURBANCES AND THE METHOD OF HANDLING THEM. BUT IF THERE SHOULD BE SERIOUS UPHEAVAL IN HK, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT COULD NOT BUT RECONSIDER THE TIMING AND METHOD OF RECOVERING HK.
2. THE PAPERS QUOTED A DELEGATE, KENNETH CHOW, AS SAYING AFTER THE MEETING THAT DENG'S REMARKS WOULD STILL APPLY TODAY. CHOW SAID DENG WAS SAID TO HAVE MENTIONED THAT CHINA WOULD RECONSIDER THE TIMING AND METHOD OF RECOVERING HK, INCLUDING USING NON-PEACEFUL MEANS, SHOULD THE BRITISH SIDE CAUSE SERIOUS UPHEAVALS IN THE TERRITORY IN THE TRANSITION PERIOD. QIN STRESSED THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WERE WILLING TO COOPERATE WITH THE BRITISH AS JIANG ZEMIN HAD SAID
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