TNAG-1233-FCO40-1546-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 59

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FR HONG KONG 130909Z JAN 83

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 56 OF 13 JANUARY

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

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1 3 JAN 1983

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG-GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON PESK O'F

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MIPT: FUTURE OF HONG KONG : PRESS COVERAGE

INDEX

PA

IN ADDITION TO THE COVERAGE OF THE N.T. DELEGATION VISIT

REPORTED IN MIPT, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF OTHER ARTICLES AND EDITORIALS ON THE FUTURE. THE YANG CHENG EVENING NEWS, A CANTON

PAPER WIDELY AVAILABLE IN HONG KONG, PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE ON AN

INSIDE PAGE IN ITS 13 JANUARY EDITION ON THE FAMILIAR THEME THAT

HONG KONG'S PRESENT PROSPERITY IS DUE TO THE HARD WORK OF ITS

PEOPLE AND THE SUPPORT OF CHINA RATHER THAN TO THE BRITISH

CONNECTION. THE ARTICLE ADDED NOTHING TO POINTS ALREADY MADE IN

MANY SIMILAR ARTICLES IN THE HONG KONG COMMUNIST PRESS, BUT THIS

IS THE FIRST TIME TO OUR KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS THEME HAS BEEN

TAKEN UP BY THE OFFICIAL PRESS.

Afish

2. THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (SCMF) PUBLISHED AN EDITORIAL ON 13 JANUARY COMMENTING ON THE YANG CHENG EVENING NEWS ARTICLE. THE SCMP SAID THAT THE LAST THING HONG KONG WANTED TO GET

INVOLVED IN AT THIS STAGE OF DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINA ON HONG KONG'S

FUTURE WAS A GAME OF CHAUVINISTIC ONE-UPMANSHIP. IT WAS TRUE

THAT HONG KONG'S SUCCESS OWED MUCH TO THE ENDEAVOUR OF ITS PEOPLE AND TO THE SUPPORT RECEIVED FROM CHINA, BUT BRITAIN HAD PROVIDED THE BASIC CONSTITUTIONAL AND ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK IN WHICH IT HAD BEEN ABLE TO GROW AND PROSPER. ABOVE ALL, BRITAIN HAD ENSURED THE BASIC FREEDOMS ESSENTIAL TO HONG KONG'S DEVELOPMENT. THE EDITORIAL ALSO SAID THAT UNDER CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO ENSURE THAT CHINESE POLITICS WOULD NOT AFFECT HONG

KONG.

3. THE COMMUNIST TA KUNG PAO PUBLISHED AN EDITORIAL ON 13 JANUARY ATTACKING REMARKS MADE BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, AT THE ANNUAL URBAN COUNCIL DEBATE, ALTHOUGH CHEONG-LEEN WAS NOT MENTIONED DY WAME. CHEONG-LEEN HAD CALLED FOR A CONTINUATION OF THE PRESENT THREE-LEGGED TABLE ARRANGEMENTS FOR 30-50 YEARS. THE TA KUNG PAO SAID THAT SUCH AN IDEA WOULD AMOUNT TO ALLOWING DRITISH ADMINISTRATION TO CONTINUE AND THAT IT

PLIED DISAPPROVAL OF CHINA'S PLAN TO REGAIN SOVEREIGNTY OVER

ký với G KONG

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