TNAG-1036-FCO40-1286-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 71

CHA

Reference

CONFIDENTIAL

My then Overratenie.

Mr Williamson

HK&GD

M.

J2.2.

1

CHINA/HONG KONG

HKK ouoli

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

12 FEB1981

see (19

REGISTRY Action Taken

}

1. I attach a translation of the article in The Seventies which I mentioned on the telephone

مثل

R.L.

2. As you will see, it proposes that the Chinese government should declare that the question of Hong Kong will be solved at a suitable time through "consultation and deliberation" and under- take to give 15 years notice of any intention to take over Hong Kong. The purpose of this undertaking would be to enable the Chinese, by refraining from giving such notice, to provide continuing assurance to investors about the security of their interests in Hong Kong. As an alternative, the articles discusses the possibility of turning Hong Kong into a "special autonomous district" which would formally be part of China while continuing to operate on present lines. But it suggests that this arrange- ment would be less advantageous because of the serious risk of instability involved.

3. We have no record of the author of the article, Zhang Dusheng, and there is no indication that the article is authoritative, but I should expect the editors of The Seventies to have obtained some degree of political clearance from communist authorities before publishing an article with this content.

Марше

KC Walker

Far Eastern Section Research Department (G 59/4: 233 3473)

2 February 1981

cc Mr Paul (FED) with enclosure

Mr Lewis (PUSD) without enclosure

Mr Sullivan (Assessments Staff) without enclosure

}

CODE 18-77

SS 8/78

CONFIDENTIAL