UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2504
OF 140839Z OCTOBER 92
UNCLASSIFIED
MAR 017/6
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP COPY @PRT ?
ри. Скига ади
134465
MDHIAN 321785
LEGCO ADDRESS: CHINESE REACTION: 14 OCTOBER
1.
ZHOU NAN SAID IN A RADIO INTERVIEW IN PEKING THAT MY SPEECH WAS UNACCEPTABLE. HE STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASIC LAW AND HOPED THAT THE CHINESE AND BRITISH SIDES WOULD DISCUSS THE ISSUES WITH SINCERITY.
2. SING PAO IN ITS LEAD STORY SAID THAT DENG XIAOPING'S DAUGHTER HAD TOLD THE PAPER THAT SHE WOULD REFLECT TO DENG THE WORRIES OF HONG KONG PEOPLE OVER MY ADDRESS. IF DENG HAD ANYTHING TO SAY IN THIS RESPECT, HE WOULD DO SO THROUGH LU PING.
3
A SOURCE IN PEKING TOLD TVB THAT CHINA HOPED I WOULD MAKE SOME CONCESSIONS DURING MY VISIT. ANOTHER PEKING SOURCE TOLD TVB THAT LI PING MIGHT MEET ME, IF ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF CHINESE COURTESY.E
4. THE LEFT-WING PRESS CARRIED THIRTEEN EDITORIALS OR COMMENTARIES. A STRIKING FEATURE IS THE WAY IN WHICH THEY HAVE NOW PERSONALISED THEIR ATTACKS. THERE WERE FEW NEW ARGUMENTS IN THEM. WEN WEI PAO HIGHLIGHTED A SURVEY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE WHICH SHOWED THAT 70 PERCENT OF THOSE POLLED FAVOURED MAINTAINING GOOD TIES WITH CHINA. THE PAPER REGRETTED THAT I HAD TURNED A DEAF EAR TO THE PUBLIC WISH. THE PAPER ALSO CARRIED AN ARTICLE BY A REGIONAL COUNCILLOR WHO CLAIMED THE GOVERNMENT-LEGCO COMMITTEE HAD NO RIGHT TO HANDLE HONG KONG'S LEGISLATIVE AND FINANCE ISSUES SINCE IT WAS NOT STATUTORY. OTHER COLUMNISTS URGED CHINA TO GET TOUGH WITH ME AND DESCRIBED ME AS A ''SLY LAWYER''.
PATTEN
YYYY
PAGE 1 UNCLASSIFIED