RESTRICTED
AS THE TERRITORY'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY RESTED ON THREE
LEGS, THE TABLE WOULD BE CHANGED BEYOND RECOGNITION IF ALL THE ITEMS ON IT HAD BEEN SMASHED. THE EXPRESS CALLED ON LOCAL RESIDENTS NOT TO UNDERRATE THEMSELVES, SINCE HONG KONG WAS THE THIRD LEG OF THE TABLE IN THE EYES OF BOTH LONDON AND BEIJING. LORD BELSTEAD WAS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WHO CAME TO HONG KONG TO CONVEY A PARTICULAR MESSAGE WHICH WAS NOT JUST AN ORDINARY STATEMENT. ECHOING LORD BELSTEAD'S STATMENT, KUNG SHEUNG EVENING NEWS SAID RESIDENTS MUST HOLD FAST TO THE IR PRINCIPLE OF MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO AND PROSPERITY IN THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS AND NOT BE OBSCURED BY THE SMOKE SCREEN ISSUED BY CHINA RECENTLY. THE PAPER SAID HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE ALL AWARE WHETHER STATEMENTS OF BRITISH OR CHINESE OFFICIALS WERE MORE RELIABLE. MING PAO SIAD THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS COULD NEVER ACHIEVE ANYTHING SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE WISHES OF THE THIRD LEG (HONG KONG), HOWEVER, WAH KIU MAN PO SAID HIS STATEMENT CONTAINED NOTHING NEW AND THE ASSURANCE WAS TOO VAGUE. THERE WAS NO EDITORIAL COMMENT IN THE LEFT-WING
PRESS.
THE SCHP HEADLINE ON THE PRESS CONFERENCE WAS: ''UK WANTS GOVERNOR IN ON TALKS. THE STAR: **A SOLUTION TO PLEASE 5 MILLION. THE STANDARD: "IT'S TALKS THAT COUNT''. THE SCMP QUOTED LORD BELSTEAD SAYING IT WOULD BE HIGHLY DESIRABLE AT SUME STAGE FOR THE GOVERNOR TO BE INVOLVED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS, BUT HE DID NOT INDICATE WHEN. THIS SHOWED ACCORDING TO OBSERVERS THAT THE TALKS WERE AT A PRELIMINARY STAGE. THE POST COMMENTED. ADDING THAT WHEN THE GOVERNOR VISITED BEIJING THEY EXPECTED HIM TO PUT FORWARD HONG KONG VIEWS SO LOCAL OPINION WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES. THE POST ALSO SAID LORD BELSTEAD REITERATED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG. THE PAPER HAD PREVIOUSLY REPORTED THE ARRIVAL OF LORD BELSTEAD, GIVING DETAILS OF HIS PROGRAMME WITHOUT COMMENT. THEY DID MENTION THAT A PETITION FROM CHOW HING-CHUEN WAS PRESENTED AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE, WHICH SAID HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE A SAY IN THEIR FUTURE AND THEY WANTED TO CONTINUE
ENJOYING THE PRESENT LIFESTYLE.
YOUDE
[THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT ADVANCED]
LIMITED
PS
PS/MR HURD
SIR J BULLARD MR GIFFARD
PLANNING STAFF PS/LORD BELSTEAD MR DONALD
HK & GD FED
PUSD
NEWS D
PS/MR RIFKIND PS/PUS
2
RESTRICTED
COPIES TO
SIR I SINCLAID
LEGAL ADVISERS
MR EDES
NO 10 DOWNING STREET
MR MARTIN
ASSESSMENTS STAFF
CABINET OFFICE
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.