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HRIC 026/2
FM HONG KONG 04050OZ SEP 82
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 983 OF 4 SEPTEMBER
EXCEIVED IN RECIRY NO. 51
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING SEPT fr
YOUR TELNO 638 : DR. OWEN'S SPEECH
DESK OFFL. ER
INDEX
DR. OWEN'S SPEECH HAD THE FOLLOWING MAIN THEMES :
(A) CHINA HAD ONLY JUST BEGUN TO THINK POSITIVELY ABOUT THE
1997 PROBLEM.
(B) IT HAD TAKEN MANY YEARS TO GET THE CHINESE TO ADDRESS
THEMSELVES TO THE PROBLEM. THE SEARCH FOR A DETAILED SOLUTION
WAS THEREFORE LIKELY TO TAKE SOME TIME. PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
SHOULD NOT BE DISHEARTENED IF THERE WAS NO EARLY NEWS OF A
SOLUTION AND SHOULD NOT HAVE EXAGGERATED EXPECTATIONS OF THE
PM'S VISIT. SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS WERE LIKELY TO REMAIN
CONFIDENTIAL.
PILSTRY
ction Taken
ретья
(C) DR. OWEN WAS PERSONALLY CONFIDENT THAT A SOLUTION WOULD BE
FOUND BUT THOUGHT IT PREMATURE TO DISCUSS SPECIFIC OPTIONS.
(D) CONFIDENCE WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR: THIS MEANT NOT ONLY BUSINESS CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG, BUT CONFIDENCE ON ALL THREE SIDES OF THE HK/UK/CHINA TRIANGLE.
(E) DR. OWEN AND THE SDP WOULD DO THEIR BEST TO MAINTAIN A
NON-PARTISAN APPROACH IN WESTMINSTER TO THE HONG KONG ISSUE.
2. QUESTIONS CONCENTRATED ON THE NATIONALITY ACT, TEXTILES AND
UK'S GENERAL SENSE OF COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG. DR. OWEN WAS
CRITICAL OF THE NATIONALITY ACT, SAID THAT HONG KONG SHOULD NOT
COMPLAIN IF MUCH POORER TEXTILE EXPORTING COUNTRIES WERE FAVOURED
AND ASSERTED THAT THERE WAS A SENSE OF COMMITMENT IN THE UK TOWARDS
HONG KONG.
3. DR. OWEN ALSO GAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE AIRPORT. HIS MAIN
POINT WAS THAT THE PRESSURE OF MUTUAL INTERESTS WAS PUSHING THE
UK AND CHINA TOWARDS A SENSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE 1997 PROBLEM, AND THAT THIS WOULD IN HIS VIEW MAKE THE SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION
RELATIVELY EASY.
4. ONLY THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL REPORTED THE SPEECH IN ANY DETAIL, GIVING A FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD SUMMARY. DR. OWEN'S PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE AIRPORT WAS MUCH MORE WIDELY REPORTED, WITH ALL PAPERS CONCENTRATING ON HIS EXPRESSIONS OF CONFIDENCE THAT A
SOLUTION WOULD BE FOUND.
YOUDE
LIMITED
HK & GD
FED
PUSD NEWS D
PS
PS/LORD BELSTEAD PS/PUS
MR GIFFARD
COPIES TO
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
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