TNAG-0944-FCO40-1163-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 38

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

31

HKG O

HKGD

00 GOV HONG KONG

GRS 425

DA

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONGAID 191200Z SEP 80.

Никона!!

24 SEP 1980

{་ན INDEX

R

PA

REGI

des

$25.9

TO IMMEDIATE GOVERNOR HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER HK 1048 OF 19 SEPTEMBER.

EASEY'S LEAFLET.

988

101A)

FURTHER TO MY TELEGRAM NUMBER HK (1044) I HAVE NOW READ THE PAMPHLET, WHICH IS HEADED QUOTE DUCKING RESPONSIBILITY - BRITAIN AND HONG KONG IN THE EIGHTIES UNQUOTE. AS EASEY SUGGESTED, IT IS VERY MUCH A RE-HASH OF PREVIOUS MATERIAL AND VERY SIMILAR TO HIS THESIS WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN THE SEVENTIES

BI-WEEKLY. THE NEW ELEMENT IS THE CHAPTER ON IMMIGRATION AND

NATIONALITY WHICH MAKES MUCH OF THE IDEA THAT HONG KONG CHINESE

WILL BE IN A HOPELESS POSITION AFTER THE REVERSION OF HONG KONG

TO CHINA, WHICH IS THE THEME OF HIS MAIN ESSAY.

2.

HE SUMMARISES THE PAMPHLET AS FOLLOWS:

(A) THE LEASE PROBLEM CANNOT AND WILL NOT BE SOLVED. IT IS

INSOLUBLE.

(B) THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS IS THAT BY ABOUT 1982, WITH

FAILURE TO GO AHEAD WITH A SECOND AIRPORT SIGNALLING THIS

FACT TO ALL, THERE WILL BEGIN A CAPITAL FLIGHT OUT OF HONG

KONG, AND THAT, IN TURN, WILL LEAD TO UNEMPLOYMENT, STEEP RISE IN CRIME, RIOTS AND, FIANLLY, THE ENTIRE BREAKDOWN OF

ORGANISED LIFE IN THE COLONY.

(C) VIEWING THIS AS AN INESCAPABLE SCENARIO, THE BRITISH

AND CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THE ONLY DECISION

OPEN TO THEM - AGREE ON A DATE FOR THE RESUMPTION OF HONG KONG

BY CHINA. A DATE HAS ALREADY BEEN SET.

(D) VARIOUS KINDS OF DEALS CAN BE MADE OVER ASSETS,

COMPENSATION ETC. BUT BOTH SIDES WILL HAVE A VERY STRONG

INTEREST IN THREE COMMON APPROACHES TO THIS RESUMPTION.

THEY ARE:-

(1) BOTH SIDES WILL BE VERY SECRETIVE UNTIL THE LAST

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