TNAG-1236-FCO40-1549-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 36

CONFIDENTIAL

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3.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT JUST LAST FRIDAY (25.2.83)

MR KE WAS FETED BY THE 'RIVAL' FACTION IN MANCHESTER. AGAIN THE

LORD MAYOR AND SOME LOCAL OFFICIALS ATTENDED. MR KE' SPEECH,

THEN, MADE NO REFERENCE TO HK BUT CONCENTRATED ON THE NEED FOR

UNITY AMONGST CHINESE HERE.

4.

ALSO ON 1 MARCH, CHINESE AMBASSADOR WAS IN GLASGOW

TO ATTEND A FAREWELL PARTY ORGANISED BY LOCAL CHINESE AT WHICH

THE LORD PROVOST AND OUR LIAISON OFFICERS OF EDINBURGH SUB-OFFICE

WERE PRESENT. MR KE ONLY TOUCHED UPON THE QUESTION OF HK'S

FUTURE BY SAYING THAT THE SOLUTION WOULD BE FOUND THROUGH

NEGOTIATIONS. HE FURTHER STRESSED CHINA WOULD NOT REPEAT MISTAKES

MADE DURING CULTURAL REVOLUTION, LEAST OF ALL IN HK.

5.

MEANWHILE IN LONDON, IT HAS JUST COME TO OUR

ATTENTION THAT ONE CHEN TIANSING (7115 1131 5116) HAS STARTED TO

DISTRIBUTE TO CHINESE PEOPLE INCLUDING SCHOOL CHILDREN A

STENCILLED HAND-COPIED BOOKLET CONTAINING AN EXTRACT FROM THE

CHINESE HISTORY MAGAZINE REFERRED TO IN 'MEDIA SUMMARY ON HONG

KONG'S FUTURE' FOR THE WEEKS OF 25 JANUARY AND 1 FEBRUARY.

BOOKLET IS NOT BEING FORWARDED TO YOU AS CONTENTS ARE PRESUMABLY

AVAILABLE IN HK.

6.

CHEN IS AN ELDERLY PENSIONER SAID TO HAVE BEEN

A SEAMAN. AND THEN WORKED FOR NCNA, LONDON SOME TIME AGO.

HE,

A HAKKA, IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LEFT-WING KUNG HO ASSOCIATION

(0364 9735 0588 2585) BUT IS NOT ON ITS COMMITTEE. WE BELIEVE

THIS IS PART OF THE WAR OF WORDS DESIGNED TO REMIND OR INFORM

PEOPLE OF THE OPIUM WAR AND TO STIR-UP NATIONALISM BUT CANNOT ASCERTAIN WHETHER IT IS DONE OF HIS OWN INITIATIVE.

7.

WE THINK THAT AS THE 'BOOKLET' IS 'OLD HAT', NOT

WELL COPIED AND QUITE VOLUMINOUS (HALF-AN-INCH THICK, WRITTEN

ON BOTH SIDES), IT IS UNLIKELY TO BE MUCH READ.

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

LIMITED

COPIES TO

HD/HKGD

HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF

HD/PUSD

PS

PS/MR HURD

PS/LORD BELSTEAD PS/PUS

SIR J BULLARD

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

MR ROBERTS

MR COLES

SIR I SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER

MR MARTIN

NEWS D

NO 10 DOWNING STREET

ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFICE

2 CONFIDENTIAL