Никако
RECEIVED IN RESERY
2 1 NOV 1980
PA
DESK O
CONFIDEN
No #241.
TOP COPY
RGS
Juson in 2
GR 350
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 2205ØØZ NOV 80
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1538 OF (22 NOVEMBER
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
143
PEKING TELNO 755: PRESS ARTICLES ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
ee (149
ARTICLES REFERRED TO WERE PUBLISHED IN THE EXPRESS (KUAI BAO) ON 13 AND 14 NOVEMBER. THEY WERE BY ONE OF THE PAPER'S REPORTERS AND DESCRIBED DISCUSSION OVER DINNER IN PEKING WITH ZHAO, DIRECTOR OF THE GOVERNMENT OFFICES ADMINISTRATION BUREAU AND TWO OF HIS
COLLEAGUES.
2. MAIN POINTS ATTRIBUTED TO ZAHO (SPEAKING PERSONALLY) WERE: (1) THERE IS NO SECRET AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE.
(11) HONG KONG CAN HELP CHINA GREATLY IN THE MODERNISATION PROGRAMME, HER FACILITIES CANNOT BE REPLACED BY SHANGHAI ON GUANGZHOU, NO NEED
TO CHANGE THE STATUS QUO, CHINA WOULD LOSE IF SHE RESUMED HONG KONG SUDDENLY OR CREATED INSTABILITY.
(111) CHINA WOULD ABIDE BY THE 1842 AND 1898 TREATIES SIGNED BY
THE QING DYNASTY. SHE HAD NOT YET FORMULATED ANY PLAN FOR DEALING WITH THE UNEQUAL TREATIES.
(IV) (IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER CHINA WOULD ALSO CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THE TREATIES IN 1997). ALL DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION IN 17 YEARS. ANY CHANGE WOULD HAVE TO BENEFIT CHINA AND BRITAIN: CHINA WOULD ATTACH GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND TO MAINTAINING THEIR LIVING STANDARDS.
(V) CHINA AND BRITAIN MUST SPEAK FRANKLY AND SINCERELY IF THEY WISHED TO DISCUSS CHANGING THE STATUS QUO.
3. THE EXPRESS IS A NEUTRAL PAPER WITH RIGHTIST LEANINGS. PROVIDING
FACILITIES FOR THEIR REPORTER SHOULD PROBABLY BE SEEN IN THE CONTEXT OF UNITED FRONT WORK DIRECTED AT TAIWAN. WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND ANY RECORD OF ZHAO OR TO ASSESS HIS IMPORTANCE. THE EXPRESS SAYS HE WORKED FORMERLY IN THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN SRI LANKA. LIKE PEKING WE DID NOT KNOW THE BUREAU HAD A FOREIGN AFFAIRS
ROLE AND ARE SCEPTICAL.
CONFIDENTIAL
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