REC
184
077120
"UNCLASSIFIED
012/2.
MDHIAN 6543
ISTRY
TOP COPY
1993
Q DIST?
CISTRY
Action Taken
UNCLASSIFIED
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1308
OF 240552Z SEPTEMBER 93
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
ра
012/2.
MIPT: HONG KONG: DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE: DENG XIAOPING
1.
TEXT OF XINHUA TRANSLATION OF DENG XIAOPING'S STATEMENT WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN THE PEOPLE'S DAILY TODAY (24 SEPTEMBER) IS AS FOLLOWS:
BEGINS
OUR BASIC POSITION ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG IS CLEAR. THERE ARE THREE MAJOR ISSUES INVOLVED. ONE IS THE ISSUE OF SOVEREIGNTY. ANOTHER IS THE WAY IN WHICH CHINA WILL ADMINISTER HONG KONG SO AS TO MAINTAIN ITS PROSPERITY AFTER 1997. AND STILL ANOTHER IS THE NEED FOR THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS TO HOLD APPROPRIATE
DISCUSSIONS ON WAYS TO AVOID MAJOR DISTURBANCES IN HONG KONG DURING THE 15 YEARS BETWEEN NOW AND 1997.
ON THE QUESTION OF SOVEREIGNTY, CHINA HAS NO ROOM FOR MANOEUVRE. TO BE FRANK, THE QUESTION IS NOT OPEN TO DISCUSSION. THE TIME IS RIPE FOR MAKING IT UNEQUIVOCALLY CLEAR THAT CHINA WILL TAKE OVER HONG KONG IN 1997. TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, CHINA WILL NOT ONLY TAKE BACK THE NEW TERRITORIES BUT ALSO HONG KONG ISLAND AND KOWLOON. MUST BE ON THAT UNDERSTANDING THAT CHINA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM HOLD TALKS ON THE WAYS AND MEANS OF SETTLING THE HONG KONG QUESTION.
IT
IF CHINA FAILED TO TAKE HONG KONG BACK IN 1997, WHEN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC WILL HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR 48 YEARS, NO CHINESE LEADERS OR GOVERNMENT WOULD BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY THEMSELVES FOR THAT FAILURE BEFORE THE CHINESE PEOPLE OR BEFORE THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD. IT WOULD MEAN THAT THE PRESENT CHINESE GOVERNMENT WAS JUST LIKE THE GOVERNMENT OF THE LATE QING DYNASTY AND THAT THE PRESENT CHINESE LEADERS WERE JUST LIKE LI HONGZHANG.
WE HAVE WAITED FOR 33 YEARS, AND IF WE ADD ANOTHER 15 YEARS, THAT WILL MAKE 48. WE ARE ABLE TO WAIT FOR SUCH A LONG TIME BECAUSE WE ENJOY THE FULL CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE. IF WE FAILED TO TAKE HONG
1
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