TNAG-1239-FCO40-1552-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 160

1

-2-

Government and the Government of the Qing Dynasty of China in the past are unequal treaties which have never been accepted

by the Chinese people. The consistent position of the

Government of the PRC has been that China is not bound by these unequal treaties and that the whole Hong Kong area will be recovered when conditions are ripe. Both the Chinese and British sides hope to maintain the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and therefore will hold discussions through diplomatic channels."

A Xinhua commentary on the same day said that the Chinese people had

never accepted the "unequal treaties" signed between Britain and the

Qing dynasty and that to recover sovereignty over Hong Kong was the

"sacred responsibility" of the Chinese Government and people. After

referring to Mrs Thatcher's statement on Britain's "moral

responsibility" towards the people of Hong Kong, it added that "only

the Government of the Chinese Peoples' Republic has the right to say

that it has the responsibility of a sovereign country towards the Chinese inhabitants of Hong Kong".

4.

There were also a number of instances of the Chinese leaking key points in their remarks to the Prime Minister. The following

report was put out by the Associated Press Peking on 7 October, and

was carried in the afternoon edition of the Hong Kong English language paper, "The Star":

Chinese official says sovereignty comes before prosperity.

Recovering China's sovereignty over Hong Kong must take

precedence, but efforts will be made to guarantee its stability and its prosperity, a senior Chinese official said

on Wednesday. 'We cannot place maintenance of prosperity

over sovereignty', he was quoted as telling a delegation of

the London Financial Times. He said that Britain and China

want to maintain Hong Kong's prosperity and special measures

will be adopted. The official, who asked not to be named, also said he did not think it would be possible for Britain

to continue an administrative role even if it conceded

sovereignty. 'I don't think that would be possible', he was

quoted as saying in answer to a question."

1