CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO
1520
OF 24115OZ SEPTEMBER 93
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
012/2.
187
077672
MDHIAN 6592
TOP COPY Q DIST?
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DENG XIAOPING'S 1982 REMARKS ON HONG KONG.
SUMMARY.
1. THE COMMUNIST CONTROLLED NEWSPAPERS WEN WEI PO AND TA
KUNG PAO TODAY CARRIED THE FULL TEXT OF AN NCNA STATEMENT QUOTING DENG XIAOPING'S 1982 REMARKS ON 'CHINA'S BASIC STAND ON HONG KONG', INCLUDING THE THREAT OF AN EARLY TAKEOVER IN THE EVENT OF 'CHAOS' BEFORE 1997. THE STATEMENT WAS ALSO PUBLISHED IN MAJOR NEWSPAPERS IN CHINA AND IN THE OVERSEAS EDITION OF THE PEOPLE'S DAILY. PRC SPOKESMEN HAVE BACKED UP THE STATEMENT.
DETAIL.
2. THE FULL TEXT OF DENG'S STATEMENT APPEARED PROMINENTLY IN
THE COMMUNIST CONTROLLED PRESS HERE AND IN MAINLAND NEWSPAPERS. THE FULL ENGLISH TEXT OF THE NCNA STATEMENT FOLLOWS BY FAX. ACCORDING TO RADIO REPORTS HERE, THE VICE-DIRECTOR OF THE HKMAO, CHEN ZIYING, SAID THE REASON FOR THE RE-ISSUING OF THE STATEMENT WAS THAT IT WAS MADE EXACTLY 11 YEARS AGO TODAY. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT DENG WAS 'FAR-SIGHTED AND THAT HIS REMARKS REMAIN RELEVANT'. A CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE REMARKS WERE 'FAR-SIGHTED AND COMPLETELY CORRECT'. THOUGH THE RESUMPTION OF SOVEREIGNTY WAS A DIFFICULT TASK, CHINA HAD THE ABILTY AND DETERMINATION TO COMPLETE IT, HE SAID.
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WE HAVE RESPONDED TO PRESS ENQUIRIES WITH THE LINE THAT THE STATEMENT WAS MADE BEFORE THE JD WAS SIGNED; THAT UNDER THE JD, BRITAIN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UP TO 1 JULY 1997; AND THAT CHINA HAS PLEDGED ITS CO-OPERATION. THIS LINE HAS BEEN DEPLOYED BY THE GOVERNOR HERE AND SIR R.MCLAREN IN PEKING. THE TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S REMARKS WILL BE FAXED TO YOU LATER TODAY.
COMMENT.
4.
THIS IS CLEARLY AN ORCHESTRATED EXERCISE WHICH HAS BEEN IN
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