TNAG-1238-FCO40-1551-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 146

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FM HONG KONG 280940Z MAY 83

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 714 OF 20 MAY

INFO ROUTINE PEKING

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MKK040|1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 3 1 MAY 1983

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISAY

MY TELNO 680 : NCNA APPOINTMENTS

Action Taken

7

|CH 31|5

pa okoli

1. THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF XU JIANTUN'S APPOINTMENT AS NCNA DIRECTOR IS GIVEN WIDE COVERAGE IN TODAY'S ENGLISH AND CHINESE LANGUAGE PRESS. MOST PAPERS RELY ON A REUTERS DESPATCH OF 19 MAY WHICH FOCUSSED ON XU'S SENIORITY, SAID TO REFLECT THE INCREASINGLY SENSITIVE POSITION OF HONG KONG''. THE REUTER'S REPORT ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE FACT THAT XU WAS NOT FROM GUANGDONG INDICATED PEKING'S WISH TO BECOME MORE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE RUNNING OF HONG KONG.

2. THERE HAS SO FAR BEEN LITTLE EDITORIAL COMMENT. THE FINANCIAL

DAILY SAID THAT XU'S PRIMARY TASK WOULD BE TO CONSOLIDATE THE

COMMUNIST ORGA INSATIONS IN HONG KONG WHILST AVOIDING ULTRA- LEFTIST OR OTHER RADICAL ACTION. THE PAPER ADDED THAT LI CHUWEN (FORMER DIRECTOR, SHANGHAI FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICE) WOULD, AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NCNA, BE CULTIVATING HONG KONG'S SHANGAINESE COMMUNITY. SINCE NEITHER XU NOR LI HAD SUFFICIENT WORKING EXPERIENCE OF HONG KONG OR MACAU, NCNA WOULD NEED TO RETAIN ITS LOCALLY EXPERIENCED STAFF.

3. COMMENTING ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF XU'S APPOINTMENT FOR THE TALKS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, THE EXPRESS SAID THAT ALTHOUGH XU WOULD BE CONTRIBUTING HIS VIEWS, HE WOULD TAKE NO ACTIVE PART IN THE TALKS THEMSELVES. XU'S ROLE WOULD BE PRIMARILY ONE OF BOOSTING LOCAL CONFIDENCE IN PEKING'S PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE, AND OF PAVING THE WAY FOR THE EVOLUTION OF HONG KONG AS A

SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION.

YOUDE

LIMITED

HK + GD

FED

PUSD

NEWS D

PS

PS/LORD BELSTEAD

PS/PUS

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

COPIES TO:

MR MARTIN

ASSESSMENTS STAFF

CABINET OFFICE

HONG KONG GOVT. OFFICE, LONDON

THIS TALEGRAM

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