TNAG-1242-FCO40-1555-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 44

GRS 250

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL TOP COPY

FROM PEKING 110345Z OCT 83

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1002 OF 11/10/83

MKK040/1.

REOLIVED my natut

12 OCT 1983

PA

и

? INFO

PRIORITY HONG KONG

USTRY

.... Taken

114/1

FUTURE OF HONG KONG:

CHINESE BREACHES OF CONFIDENTIALITY

MKK040/4/85)

1. PEOPLE'S DAILY OF 10 OCTOBER LEADS WITH A SUMMARY OF

THE MAIN POINTS MADE BY HU YAOBANG TO THE PRESIDENT OF MAINCHI SHIMBUN AND OTHER JAPANESE JOURNALISTS ON 15 AUGUST. THE SECTION ON HONG KONG DIFFERS FROM THE VERSION PREPRODUCED IN CHINESE NEWSPAPERS ON 16 AUGUST REPORTED

IN OUR TEL NO 799. IN PARTICULAR, THE LATEST TEXT DOES NOT QUOTE HU AS SAYING THAT THE PRESENT NEGOTIATIONS ARE ONLY CONCERNED WITH WAYS OF PRESERVING HONG KONG PROSPERITY AND STABILITY AND THE GRADUAL TRANSITION FROM NOW TO THE TIME OF RECOVERY. IT REPORTS ONLY THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

CHINA WILL REASSERT SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG ON 30 JUNE 1997:

MAINTAINING HONG KONG' PROSPERITY WILL NOT BE A PROBLEM

CHINA HAS A COMPLETE SET OF POLICIES: IF CHINA CAN

REASSERT SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG WHY CAN

SHE NOT ALSO MAINTAIN PROSPERITY (SIC): BESIDES,

THERE ARE STILL THIRTEEN AND A HALF YEARS IN WHICH TO GAIN EXPERIENCE.

2. WE ASSUME THAT HU'S REMARKS ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THE TALKS HAVE BEEN OMITTED BECAUSE THEY COULD BE MADE TO LOOK EMBARRASSING SHOULD THE AGREED AGENDA BE PUBLISHED.

HOWEVER, THE OMISSION OF THE REMARKS WHICH PROMPTED OUR PROTEST DOES NOT, IN OUR VIEW, INDICATE THAT THE CHINESE ARE TRY ING

TO MEND THEIR WAYS WHERE BREACHES OF CONFIDENTIALITY

ARE CONCERNED. WU XUEQIAN'S BLATANT REVELATION TO CANADIAN JOURNALISTS

CONFIDENTIAL

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