TNAG-1233-FCO40-1546-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 58

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TELEGRAM NUMBER 65 OF 14 JANUARY

INFO PRIORITY PEKING ROUTINE HONGAID

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MY TELNOS 55 AND 56: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE

1 3 JAN 1983

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1. TODAY'S WEN WEI PO (COMMUNIST) HAS A REPORT FROM ITS CORRESPONDENT TRAVELLING WITH THE NEW TERRITORIES DELEGATION (NOW TOURING IN SHANDONG PROVINCE) WHICH MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THE DELEGATION HANDED OVER FIVE SPEARATE DOCUMENTS TO LIAO CHENGZHI. THE REPORT CONTAINS EXTENSIVE QUOTES FROM THE MEMORANDA SUBMITTED BY LAU WONG-FAT AND CHAN YAT SUN (A FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK).

2. THE CHINESE CHANNEL OF ATV CARRIED A REPORT ON 13 JANUARY FROM ITS CORRESPONDENT COVERING THE DELEGATION'S VISIT. THIS QUOTED A MEMBER OF THE DELEGATION AS SAYING THAT THE TALKS WITH LIAO HAD REVEALED THAT CHINA WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH PROGRESS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE BUT HELD BRITAIN RESPONSIBLE

FOR THIS.

3. THE VISIT HAS STIMULATED SOME EDITORIAL COMMENT IN THE INDEPENDENT PRESS. THE EDITORIALS ARE HIGHLY SPECULATIVE BUT FIND ENCOURAGEMENT IN LIAO'S REPORTED ASSERTION THAT THE BALL IS IN BRITAIN'S COURT, ON THE GROUND THIS INDICATES THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE ALIVE AND

IN PROGRESS.

4. THE NEW EVENING POST PUBLISHED AN EDITORIAL ON 13 JANUARY ON SIMILAR LINES TO THE TA KUNG PAC EDITORIAL MENTIONED IN PARA 3 OF MY TELNO 56. THE NEW EVENING POST MENTIONED THE URBAN COUNCIL CHAIRMAN BY NAME, AND THE TONE OF THE EDITORIAL WAS RATHER MORE HOSTILE. IT SAID THAT CHEONG-LEEN'S PROPOSALS WOULD BE TANTAMOUNT TO ASKING CHINA TO RENEW THE LEASE. THIS WAS OUT OF THE QUESTION BECAUSE IT WOULD BE AN AFFRONT TO CHINA'S NATIONAL DIGNITY AND A HUMILIATION WHICH THE CHINESE PEOPLE WOULD NEVER TOLERATE.

A DIFFERENCE IN LIVING STANDARDS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA WAS NOT A REASON TO DELAY THE RECOVERY OF HONG KONG: THE LIVING STANDARD

IN NORTHERN IRELAND WAS LOWER THAN THAT IN ENGLAND.

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FED PUS D

NEWS D PS

PS/LORD BELSTEAD PS/MR RIFKIND PSIMRHURD

PSIPUS

SIR.J.BULLARD

MR GIFFARD MR DONALD

COPIES

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SIR. I.SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER MR COLES NOIO DOWNING ST MR MARTIN

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HKGO LONDON

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