TNAG-0580-FCO40-713-UK-policy-on-status-of-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 106

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CONFIDENTIAL

Reference......

15

Mr. Martin, FED

STATUS OF HONG KONG

1.

A

Thank you for showing me your draft and the attached letters. Ms Shen's statement reflects what we regard as the authoritive Chinese statement on this question, that made in a People's Daily Editorial of 8 March 1963 entitled "Comment on the statement of the Communist Party of the USA." Although nominally directed at the CPUSA, the editorial was in fact a reply to Khruschev's attacks on the Chinese position over the Cuban missile crisis. In that attack, Khruschev made somewhat disparaging remarks about China's failure to settle the question of Hong Kong and Macao. The People's Daily editorial replied to this in the following terms :

Some

"With regard to the outstanding issues, which are a legacy from the past, we have always held that, when conditions are ripe, they should be settled peacefully through negotiations and that, pending a settlement, the status quo should be maintained. Within this category are the questions of Hong Kong, Kowloon and Macao... B.

more recent Chinese statements are given in the attached copy of a minute which I sent you last October.

2. I am not so sure (see Mr Bentley's manuscript minute to Mr Cortazzi on Mr Donald's letter) about this formula meaning that 1997 is not a significant date for the Chinese. Admittedly, there is little to go on, but what there is does seem to indicate that the end of the lease is regarded by the Chinese as likely to be the occasion "when conditions are ripe." In October 1971, Chou En-lai told Mr Malcolm MacDonald that "China had no intention of seeking to get Hong Kong back until the expiry of the new territories lease (Peking telegram No. 1076 of 19 October 1971, copy attached). The end of the lease was also given some significance in the state- ments made at a lunch in Hong Kong in September last year by Stanley Ho, a pro-communist Hong Kong resident and by an NCNA man. There were reported in Mf Donald's letter of 24 September 1975 to

Again, I attach a copy for ease of reference. What the Chinese appear to want to avoid is being pinned down to 1997, should they chose not to make an issue of the lease then But I Same think we cannot pretend that 1997 is not without significance.

(apier) you

Richar

1 June 1976.

Kuttons.

JE Hoare

Far Eastern Section Research Department

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CONFIDENTIAL