TNAG-1235-FCO40-1548-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 91

RESTRICTED

:

1

3. ONLY ONE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER, THE CHINESE LANGUAGE ECONOMIC JOURNAL, HAS REACTED TO THE CONTEMPORARY HISTORICAL RESEARCH' ARTICLE. THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC FOURNAL SAID THAT THE USE OF EMOTIVE TERMS LIKE ''SLY'' AND ''CUNNING'' UNDERMINED ANY PRETEXT TO OBJECTIVITY: THESE WERE THE SLOGANS OF MASS RALLIES. THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL ASKED WHY, IF CHINA DID NOT RECOGNISE BRITAIN'S LEGITIMATE POSITION IN HONG KONG, THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES SHOULD HOLD TALKS WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ON SUCH MATTERS AS WATER SUPPLY AND IMMIGRATION. THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL ALSO SAID THAT IT WOULD NOT BE EASY FOR BRITAIN TO ABROGATE THE TREATIES BECAUSE PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL WOULD BE REQUIRED.

YOUDE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

LIMITED

HD! HKG D

HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF

SIR. J. BULLARD

HD/PUSD

PS

PS/LORD BELSTEAD PS/MR, HURD

PS/PUS

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

COPIES TO

SIR I SINCLAIR

MR ROBERTS

LEGAL ADVISER

NEWS D

MR COLES NO 10 DOWNING STREET

MR MARTIN

ASSESSMENTS STAFF

CABINET OFFICE

LDN

H.K.GOV. OFFICE.

RESTRICTED