ра
UNCLASSIFIED
MAE 017/6
053127
MDLIAN .30
pa China angle
·744
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2705
OF 16070OZ NOVEMBER 92
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
CHINESE STANCE ON SINO-BRITISH DISPUTE ON CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND NEW AIRPORT: ARTICLE IN THE CONTEMPORARY MAGAZINE.
(140)
FURTHER TO OUR EARLIER REPORT ON DENG'S DIRECTIVE COUR TELNO 2696 REFERS), THE LATEST (15 NOVEMBER) ISSUE OF THE CONTEMPORARY MONTHLY, KNOWN FOR ITS CLOSENESS TO CHINESE SOURCES, CARRIED AN ARTICLE ENTITLED 'PEKING PREPARED FOR THE WORST AMIDST SINO-BRITISH ROW', REVEALING THE CONTENTS OF AN INTERNAL DOCUMENT DICTATING CHINESE HARD-LINE POLICY ON THE PRESENT SINO-BRITISH DISPUTES.
2.
ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, THE PEKING AUTHORITIES HAD RECENTLY CIRCULATED AN INTERNAL DOCUMENT TO CADRES IN NATION-WIDE PROVINCIAL, MINISTERIAL AND MILITARY ORGANS, EXPRESSING THE ABSOLUTELY NON-COMPROMISING POSITION OF THE TOP ECHELONS IN THE CHINESE COMMUNITY PARTY (CCP) ON THE DETERIORATION OF SINO- BRITISH RELATIONS. THE DOCUMENT SAID THAT ALL ORGANS AND CADRES INVOLVED IN THE WORK RELATED TO HONG KONG AND MACAU SHOULD BE MORE VIGILANT ABOUT WHAT MIGHT POSSIBLY HAPPEN.
3.
THE DOCUMENT WAS CIRCULATED AFTER THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO PEKING DURING WHICH HE HAD TAKEN A HARD-LINE STANCE. AND THE POLICY DIRECTIVE WAS ISSUED BY THE POLITBURO OF CCP CENTRAL COMMITTEE AFTER REVIEWING THE OVERALL SITUATION. QUOTING THOSE WHO HAD SEEN THE DOCUMENT, THE ARTICLE SAID THE PAPER REGARDING BRITAIN'S APPOINTMENT OF MR.PATTEN TO REPLACE LORD WILSON AS PART OF A PLANNED, SYSTEMATIC HARD-LINE APPROACH TOWARDS CHINA. IT ALSO ACCUSED BRITAIN OF PLAYING BOTH THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CARDS. BUT FIRM STANCE OF THE CENTRAL AUTHORITIES WAS NO COMPROMISE.
ON POLITICAL ISSUES, IT WAS BELIEVED THAT BRITAIN WAS PUTTING PRESSURE ON CHINA FOR A FASTER PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION IN ORDER TO CREATE CHAOS IN HONG KONG. THE QUESTION ABOUT ELECTIONS WAS JUST THE FIRST STEP. THE DOCUMENT LISTED IN AN ANNEX EXAMPLES
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