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(D) HONG KONG WOULD REMAIN A FREE PORT.
(E) THERE WOULD STILL BE AN INTERNATIONALLY CONVERTIBLE HONG
KONG CURRENCY BUT H M THE QUEEN'S PORTRAIT WOULD NOT APPEAR
ON THE NOTES OR COINS.
(F) THE LEGAL SYSTEM WOULD BE CHANGED SLIGHTLY, TO BE A
MIXTURE OF CHINESE AND BRITISH LAWS.
(G) HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD HAVE THEIR OWN PASSPORTS, NOT
CHINESE PASSPORTS.
AT THE TIME OF SPEAKING, THE AMBASSADOR ASKED GUESTS INCLUDING
JOURNALISTS NOT TO DISCLOSE WHAT HE SAID. HENCE, IMAGINE MY
SURPRISE TO SEE YOUR REFERENCE TO 'WEN WEI'' AND SUBSEQUENTLY
TO READ A REPORT AT LENGTH IN TO-DAY'S 'SING TAO'' (EUROPEAN
EDITION).
4. LAST NIGHT (SUNDAY 6.2.83) LEFTIST UNION OF CHINESE
ASSOCIATIONS IN BRITAIN'' (OUR TRANSLATION) ORGANIZED A
FAREWELL PARTY FOR AMBASSADOR KE. ABOUT 80 PEOPLE, REPRESENTING
SOME 30 ORGANISATIONS, ATTENDED. VICTOR CHANN WAS INVITED AND
WAS SEATED AT THE SAME TABLE AS THE AMBASSADOR.
5. AFTER SOCIAL NICETIES, THE AMBASSADOR RAISED THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG CIVIL SERVANTS IN THE CONTEXT OF CHINA RETRIEVING SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997 AND SAID THAT THEY SHOULD REMAIN TO SERVE
HONG KONG. HE FURTHER STATED THAT CHINA WOULD NOT SEND ANY
OFFICIALS TO GOVERN HONG KONG AND THAT IT WOULD BE LEFT TO
HONG KONG PEOPLE TO ADMINISTER THE TERRITORY.
6. IN HIS 'FAREWELL SPEECH LASTNIGHT, THE AMBASSADOR URGED THE CHINESE IN BRITAIN TO UNITE IN THE PROMOTION OF SINO-BRITISH FRIENDSHIP AND TO HELP THE FOUR MODERNISATIONS OF THEIR MOTHER-
LAND. HE ALSO INVITED PEOPLE TO CALL ON HIM AT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN BEIJING: A REFERENCE INTERPRETED HERE TO BE
HIS EFFORT TO COUNTER RUMOURS ABOUT HIS BEING POSTED TO HEAD
NCNA IN HONG KONG.
7. ANOTHER FAREWELL PARTY, HOSTED BY LEFTIST KUNG HO ASSOCIATION,
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