TNAG-0944-FCO40-1163-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 109

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c) In a separate special feature on 25 June,

the Centre Daily News said :

"The Government, in deciding to introduce the Green Paper in such a hurry, is most probably stimulated by what Xi Zhongxun said in Macau that Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan were special zones. The Government intends to make it clear that the New Territories belongs to the Central Government of Hong Kong, to prevent it becoming an extension of Shenzhen special zone when the lease expires in 1997.

The general public here has developed a tendency to air their grievances to another powerful channel - China - and the British Government is reluctant to see this 'power' overshadowing the power of the Hong Kong Government. Under such a situation, the Government has to improve certain policies and collect public opinions in a systematic way.

d) Following the publication of the Green Paper on June 6, the Centre Daily News had said

that the Chinese Authorities would agree with the spirit behind the Green Paper as it would forestall any attempt at an "independent Hong Kong".

e) Also at its publication, the Hong Kong

Economic Journal felt that the Green Paper was a "tactic which China cannot counteract". It believed under this "ingenious arrangement" that the District Boards in both the New Territories and the urban area would be given a larger role if China failed to give a clear indication on the political status of Hong Kong over the next few years. "Perhaps then a movement aimed at letting the people of Hong Kong run the territory may emerge.

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All the above references and quotations are taken from press summaries which are being prepared on a regular basis on behalf of the steering group processing the response to the Green Paper. It can be seen that the main proponent of this line has been the Centre Daily News which is in any case the most regular commentator on the Green Paper, although the Ming Pao and the Hong Kong Feonomic Journal have also referred to it.

As you may know, the Centre Daily News was only been going since February. It is published by Mr. Fu Chao-Chu who formerly published a paper in Taiwan (which was forced to close by the Govt. in 1978). I attach copies of the press summaries so far. To put this in context, I should add that none of the other local papers have taken this line so it is very much a minority view.

/You