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16 :SINO-BRITISH TALKS RESUME ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE:
ING, AUG 2. REUTER - CHINESE AND BRITISH OFFICIALS TODAY BEGAN A THIRD ROUND OF DETAILED DISCUSSIONS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, THE COLONY CHINA INTENDS TO REGAIN BY 1997.
LIKE THE TWO PREVIOUS ROUNDS HELD HERE LAST MONTH, TODAY'S DISCUSSIONS TOOK PLACE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AT A GOVERNMENT GUEST HOUSE IN PEKING'S OLD LEGATION QUARTER.
Mr. Daneld
PS/M. Luce
Miccift
VICE FOREIGN MINISTER YAO GUANG, HEADING THE CHINESE TEAM, WAS BESIEGED WITH QUESTIONS BY HONG KONG JOURNALISTS AS HE WENT X INTO THE MEETING.
HE DECLINED TO MAKE ANY STATEMENT, REFUSING EVEN TO SAY WHEN OR WHERE THE TALKS ARE TO RESUME AFTER A SUMMER BREAK STARTING TOMORROW.
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THE LEADER OF THE BRITISH DELEGATION, AMBASSADOR TO CHINA intentional SIR PERCY CRADOCK, AND THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, AGAIN FACED YAO ACROSS THE NEGOTIATING TABLE TODAY.
THEY ARE EXPECTED TO FLY TO LONDON LATER THIS MONTH TO REPORT ON THE NEGOTIATIONS SO FAR TO FOREIGN SECRETARY SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, AND POSSIBLY PRIME MINISTER MARGARET THATCHER.
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828439 :SIND-BRITISH 2 PEKING:
IT WAS THATCHER'S VISIT TO PEKING LAST SEPTEMBER, SEEKING CLARIFICATION OF CHINA'S INTENTIONS TOWARDS HONG KONG, WHICH PRECIPITATED THE PRESENT TALKS.
MOST OF THE TERRITORY IS DUE TO REVERT TO CHINA IN 1997 WHEN BRITAIN'S 99-YEAR LEASE EXPIRES, AND UNCERTAINTY OVER WHAT PEKING PLANNED TO DO HAD BEEN AFFECTING BUSINESS CONFIDENCE IN THE AGGRESSIVELY CAPITALIST ENCLAVE.
WHEN SHE PUT THE QUESTION TO CHINESE LEADERS, THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER WAS TOLD PLAINLY THAT CHINA WOULD REASSERT SOVEREIGNTY OVER ALL HONG KONG, NOT JUST THE LEASED +NEW TERRITORIES. +
THE REMAINDER OF THE COLONY, COMPRISING HONG KONG ISLAND AND KOWLOON, WAS CEDED TO BRITAIN IN PERPETUITY LAST CENTURY BY AN ENFEEBLED MANCHU EMPEROR.
CHINA HAS FREQUENTLY, SAID IT WILL ALLOW HONG KONG'S SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS TO CONTINUE INTACT, BUT HAS GIVEN NO CLEAR INDICATION OF HOW IT WILL ACHIEVE THAT.
AFTER THE LAST ROUND OF TALKS,` HONG KONG'S LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DECIDED TO REMOVE THE WORD +COLONY+ FROM ALL OFFICIAL REFERENCES TO HONG KONG. ITS TWO MAJOR NOTE-ISSUING BANKS ARE ALSO CONSIDERING REMOVING THE OFFENDING TERM FROM THEIR NOTES.
REUTER RDC/BJ
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