GR 620
FLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG 260919Z OCT 79
LICK OKOLI
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 29 OCT 1979
TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELNO.1507 OF 26 OCTOBER,
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
REGISTRY
Action Taken
INFO PRIORITY: PEKING,
Mo
23010
ROUTINE : HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.
242
YOUR TEL NO.871: EDITORIAL LETTER IN FEER.
FOLLOWING ARE EXTRACTS OF THE OPEN LETTER'' FROM THE EDITOR TO THE PRIME MINISTER, PUBLISHED IN THE FEER TODAY.
QUOTE :
THE AGENDA FOR THE MATTERS YOU WILL DISCUSS WITH YOUR DISTINGUISHED VISITOR AND THE BRIEFINGS YOU WILL RECEIVE.... REMAIN
SECRET, BUT WELL-INFORMED SOURCES IN BOTH HONG KONG AND LONDON SUGGEST THAT YOUR CONVERSATIONS WILL LARGELY CONSIST OF AN EXCHANGE OF VIEWS ON GLOBAL ISSUES. THE PROBLEMS OF HONG KONG, IF INDEED THEY ARE DISCUSSED, WILL BE CONFINED TO ATTEMPTS BY YOURSELF TO PERSUADE THE LEADER OF CHINA TO TAKE STEPS TO MINIMISE THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL REFUGEES FROM CHINA TO HONG KONG WHICH HAVE BEEN RISING SHARPLY AGAIN IN RECENT WEEKS....
THE MANDARINS OF THE FCO, THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG AND ITS POLITICAL ADVISER (WHO IS SECONDED FROM THE FCO) APPEAR UNITED IN AN ATTEMPT TO PERSUADE THEMSELVES, THEIR COLLEAGUES AND THE PUBLIC OF HONG KONG THAT THE FUTURE STATUS OF THE COMMUNITY IS NOT YET OF VITAL CONCERN. THEY ARE APPARENTLY CONTENT PASSIVELY TO AWAIT AN INTIATIVE FROM PEKING, WHOSE OWN MANDARINS WILL DECIDE WHEN THE TIME IS ''RIPE'' TO DECIDE THE MATTER.....
IN RECENT MONTHS THE NEW, MODERNISATION-BENT CHINESE LEADERS HAVE MADE A SERIES OF STATEMENTS DESIGNED TO REASSURE INVESTORRS. APPARENTLY IT IS THE VIEW OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THAT SUCH GENERAL ASSURANCES, OVER A PERIOD OF TIME WHICH REMAINS UNSPECIFIED) ARE SUFFICIENTLY SATISFACTORY AND THAT THE TIME IS NOT YET ''RIPE" TO MENTION PUBLICLY THE DESIRABILITY OF NEGOTIATIONS WHICH
WILL LEAD TO A NEW WRITTEN AGREEMENT REPLACING THE VARIOUS TREATIES
/WHICH
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