TNAG-0848-FCO40-1058-Future-of-Hong-Kong-New-Territories-leases-1979 — Page 66

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CONFIDENTIAL

"In principle, Hong Kong is part of China's territory. It is not a colony: the situation is different. There is a lease to hire Kowloon for 99 years (1898-1997). When will we recover Hong Kong? It is a question for the future not for the present."

9.

At a press conference on 18 December 1978, during his visit to

[

..

Hong Kong, the Minister for Foreign Trade, Li Qiang, passed off one

question on the New Territories lease with the reply that he did not

expect to live long enough himself to see what would happen in 1997.

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CONFIDENTIAL

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