TNAG-1234-FCO40-1547-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 20

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 271010Z JAN 83

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 142 OF 27 JANUARY

HITK 040

KILEIV.

INFO PRIORITY PEKING HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

INC

DECK

PEKING TELNO 68 TO FCO: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS REPORTS

G

27 JAN 1983°

THE REUTER'S STORY REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF PEKING'S TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE IS CLEARLY AN ACCOUNT OF MY OFF-THE-RECORD PRESS BRIEFING REFERRED TO IN HONG KONG TELNO 131,

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2. THE QUESTION OF A ROLE FOR EXCO WAS NOT (NOT) RAISED AT

THE BRIEFING. THE FINANCIAL TIMES STORY TO THIS EFFECT APPEARS TO HAVE COME FROM OTHER SOURCES NOT NECESSARILY IN HONG KONG (ROBERT COTTRELL, HONG KONG CORRESPONDENT FOR THE FT, WAS NOT (NOT)

PRESENT AT THE BRIEFING).

3. A FURTHER EDITORIAL IN THE COMMUNIST PRESS HAS PICKED UP

THESE STORIES. THE NEW EVENING POST ON 25 JANUARY PUBLISHED A RAMBLING EDITORIAL COVERING A VISIT TO GUANGZHOU BY THE POLITICAL ADVISER FOR A REVIEW OF BORDER LIAISON ARRANGEMENTS, THE CONSTURCTION OF A FENCE ON THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE SHENZHEN SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE, AND THE LUNAR NEW YEAR RUSH TO TRAVEL TO CHINA. THE EDITORIAL SAID THAT IN 14 YEARS TIME A SIGN WOULD BE ERECTED ALONGSIDE THE SHENZHEN SEZ SAYING QUOTE THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION UNQUOTE. PICKING UP REMARKS

ATTRIBUTED TO THE CHIEF SECRETARY THAT HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES WERE IN PRACTICE ONE UNIT, THE NEW EVENING POST SAID THAT FOR HONG KONG TO PROSPER IT MUST ALSO BE LINKED TO SHENZHEN, TO GUANGDONG AND THE HINTERLAND. THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE STATE WAS INDIVISIBLE AND THE PROSPERITY OF THE STATE IS ONE COMPACT WHOLE. THE EDITORIAL CONCLUDED BY ALLEGING THAT THE SENIOR HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL HAD ATTACKED CHINA IN IMPROPER TERMS

AND THAT THIS WOULD NOT HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE CONDUCT OF

THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS.

4. THE COMMUNIST WEN WEI PO AND A NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT PAPERS ON 27 JANUARY REPORTED WITHOUT COMMENT THE CLARIFICATIONS ABOUT EXCO'S ROLE AND THE PROSPECTS OF THE GOVERNOR'S PARTICIPATION IN THE TALKS WHICH WERE ISSUED IN HONG KONG AND LONDON ON 26 JANUARY.

5. THE PRO-KMT KUNG SHEUNG DAILY ON 27 JANUARY PUBLISHED THE RESULTS OF A POSTAL OPINION POLL WHICH THE PAPER HAD CONDUCTED. ACCORDING TO THE PAPER, 43,000 REPLIES TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE HAD

BEEN RECEIVED. THE TWO QUESTIONS WERE:

(A) WHAT SHOULD BE HONG KONG STATUS AFTER 1997, AND

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/(B)