TNAG-1234-FCO40-1547-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 85

GR 350

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING 25070OZ JAN 83

TO INMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 63 OF 25 JANUARY

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG.

63

CONFIDENTIAL

MY TELNO 7 TO HONG KONG: FUTURE OF HONG KONG

TOP COPY

никочо

t

25 JAN 1983

INDEX

in TAFZO1

내

66

1. REUTERS TOLD US THIS MORNING THAT AFP HERE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE STORY ABOUT THE MFA DENIAL. A CHECK WITH AFP REVEALS THAT THE MFA DID DENY THE ORIGINAL STORY, WHICH WAS TO THE EFFECT THAT LIAO CHENGZHI HAD SAID THAT THE BALL WAS IN THE BRITISH COURT AND A REPLY WAS AWAITED ON CHINESE PROPOSALS. SUBSEQUENTLY THE NEW TERRITORIES DELEGATION HAD ITSELF CORRECTED ITS STORY AND HAD REFERRED TO A SIG BALL, SOVEREIGNTY, ON WHICH A REPLY WAS AWAITED FROM THE BRITISH, AND A SMALL BALL (NEGOTIATIONS), WHICH WAS SEPARATE, AND ON WHICH NO POSITION WAS SPECIFIED. THE MFA HAVE NOT YET SO FAR AS WE KNOW BEEN ASKED TO CONFIRM THIS SECOND STORY.

2. REUTERS HAVE THIS MORNING RECEIVED A STORY FROM THE IR HONG KONG BUREAU QUOTING A SENIOR HONG KONG OFFICIAL AS SAYING THA HE EXPECTED NO FURTHER PROGRESS ON THE TALKS UNTIL AFTER THE CHINESE NEW YEAR. THERE HAD NOT BEEN INTENSIVE EXCHANGES IN THE PAST TWO OR THREE MONTHS. FACTORS SLOWING THE TALKS HAD INCLUDED THE RECENT MEETING OF THE NPC, THE GOVERNMENT RE-SHUFFLE, AND RUMOURS OF OTHER IMPENDING CHANGES. ASKED IF IT WAS TRUE THAT THE BALL WAS IN THE BRITISH COURT, THE OFFICIAL SAID THAT THE CHINESE HAD NOT HANDED DOCUMENTED PROPOSALS TO BRITISH NEGOTIATORS. THEY HAD SIMPLY RE-STATED PRINCIPLES THEY HAD PUBLICLY ENUNCIATED, MAINLY ON THE QUESTION OF SOVEREIGNTY. THE OFFICIAL SAID QUOTE WHATEVER THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF HONG KONG MAY OR MAY NOT BE IN OUR EYES, IT IS COMMON GROUND BETWEEN BOTH SIDES THAT HONG KONG IS ONLY VIABLE AS A WHOLE UNGUOTE: THE OFFICIAL IS SAID TO HAVE ADDED THAT THE UK RECOGNISED THAT SOVEREIGNTY WAS A PROBLEM, BUT THE MAIN ISSUE WAS PRESERVING HONG KONG'S CHARACTER AS IT WAS TODAY.

CRADOCK

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FUTURE OF HONG KONG

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