TNAG-1237-FCO40-1550-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 89

240

WE TL47/20

PEKING TL 105

TO FCO

HÙNG KONG

HONG2

LONG

GR 220

CONFIDENTIAL

TELELETTER

FROM

19 APRIL 1983

HKK040 ||

CH21/8

hop

JAAND DIGIDIT NO. 51

2 1 APR 1983

PA

MOETRY

CM1115

RN PEIRCE, PEKING

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214

259.

FOLLOWING FOR

W MORRIS ESQ, HKGD FCO

COPIED TO

R P MARGOLIS ESQ, DPA HONG KONG

FCO TELNO 229: LORD SHEPHERD: FUTURE OF HONG KONG

>

1. IF FUNG KING-HEY'S INFORMATION IS CORRECT, WE WOULD CONCUR

WITH RESEARCH DEPARTMENT'S JUDGEMENT THAT THIS WOULD MEAN AN

UPGRADING OF THE NCNA JOBS. XU JIATUN'S CURRICULUM VITAL SHOWS

HIM TO HAVE A SOLID PARTY BACKGROUND, BUT ON A MUCH HIGHER PLANE

THAN WANG KUANG. IT WOULD BE NO BAD THING TO HAVE A MORE ABLE

DIRECTOR THAN WANG BUT ONE WONDERS HOW MUCH CAN BE EXPECTED OF A

MAN WHO SPEAKS NEITHER OF THE IMPORTANT LANGUAGES OF HONG KONG AND

HAS SPENT NEARLY ALL HIS CAREER IN JIANGSU. NOR CAN XU BE SAID

TO HAVE DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF BY THE DEGREE TO WHICH HE SUFFERED FROM THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION, SINCE HE WAS NOT RELIEVED OF HIS POSTS UNTIL 1968, AND HE RE-EMERGED VERY QUICKLY IN 1970, AS VICE-

CHAIRMAN OF THE JIANGSU REVOLUTIONARY COMITTEE.

2. YOU WILL RECALL THAT I WAS TOLD BY AN AUSTRALIAN IN EARLY

MARCH THAT A VICE-MAYOR OF SHANGHAI, ZHAO XINGZHI, WOULD SUCCEED

WANG KUANG. THE SAME INFORMATION ALSO CAME TO US FROM THE

AMERICAN CONSULATE-GENERAL IN SHANGHAI. BUT WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING

FURTHER ON THE SUBJECT.

R N PEIRCE

NNNN