TNAG-1237-FCO40-1550-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 190

GPS 900

SECRET

DESKBY FCO 211100Z

DESKBY PEKING 2201002

FM HONG KONG 210945Z MAR 83

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

SECRET

TELEGRAM NUMBER 381 OF 21 MARCH 1983

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: CPPCC

Никоно

22 MAR 1983

1 / 24

1. THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S POLITICAL CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE IS

EXPECTED TO MEET IN PEKING IN JUNE (AS YOU KNOW THE CPPCC DRAWS ITS MEMBERSHIP FROM NON COMMUNISTS INCLUDING THOSE WHO

WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMMUNISTS IN SETTING UP THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC IN 1949).THE CHINESE HAVE ALREADY ANNOUNCED (XINHUA,

26 FEBRUARY) THAT THE PROPORTION OF NON-COMMUNIST MEMBERS OF

THE NEXT CPPCC IS TO BE INCREASED.

see (205

2. IN THE PAST LEFT WING NEWSPAPER EDITORS, FILM PERSONALITIES

AND OTHER QUOTE UNCOMMITTED UNQUOTE PEOPLE HAVE ATTENDED FROM

HONG KONG. SOME MONTHS AGO THE NCNA HERE SUGGESTED TO A PROMINENT

LOCAL INDUSTRIALIST THAT HE MIGHT BECOME A MEMBER OF THE CONFERENCE.

HE DID NOT FOLLOW THIS UP BUT THE INVITATION IS APPARENTLY STILL

OPEN.

3. LAST WEEK A MEMBER OF THE NONA INVITED T.S. LO, A MEMBER OF

THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, TO ATTEND THE JUNE MEETING. THE INVITATION WAS SAID TO HAVE COME FROM LIAO CHENG ZHIH. WHEN LO CONSULTED ME,

I TOLD HIM THAT IT WOULD PUT HIM IN AN ENTIRELY FALSE POSITION.

HE AGREED. IT HAS SINCE EMERGED THAT NCNA'S IDEA WAS THAT HE SHOULD BECOME A MEMBER OF THE CONFERENCE ON A FIVE YEAR APPOINTMENT.

4.

WHO HAS BEEN INVITED TO A LUNCH ON MARCH 23 AT

WHICH ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE NCNA WILL BE PRESENT, HAS HEARD INDIRECTLY THAT THE SAME INVITATION WILL BE EXTENDED TO HIM. WHILE HE ACCEPTS THAT EXCO MEMBERS COULD NOT JOIN THE CPPCC AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE GOVERNOR OR HMG, HE CONSIDERS THAT THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT AND HIS INITIAL REACTION IS THAT THE INVIT- ATION CAN BE LOOKED AT IN ONE OF TWO WAYS. ONE READING IS THAT THE CHINESE ARE HOPING TO PERSUADE SENIOR CHINESE MEMBERS OF EXCO TO CHANGE THEIR LOYALTIES. THEY ARE BEING SUBJECTED TO A TEST OF ALLEGIANCE AND IF THEY DO NOT ACCEPT THE INVITATION THEY WILL HAVE BURNED THEIR BOATS WITH THE CHINESE IN PEKING. HIS OTHER READING IS THAT THE CHINESE MIGHT BE TRYING TO OPEN AN INFORMAL CHANNEL TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ON THE QUESTION OF THE FUTURE: AND THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT IF IT COULD BE AGREED (AND WAS KNOWN PUBLICLY TO BE THE CASE) THAT SENIOR EXCO MEMBERS COULD ALSO BE CPPCC MEMBERS SUCH A SIGN OF ACCORD BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES WOULD BE GOOD FOR CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG.

SECRET

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THIS IS A COPY THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR

EXEMPTION No. 40, 41, 38, 27 4 YEARS UNDER FOI