INTRODUCTION:
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Media Summary on Hong Kong's Future
Period: March 29 - April 11, 1983
9April
Major papers quoted a senior Government official as saying that the Governor would not go to Beijing in the near future to take part in the diplomatic talks. This prompted some papers to speculate that the talks had run into difficulties.
The Prime Minister spoke of HK's future in an interview in London with the publisher of The Wall Street Journal. Sha said both Britain and China were keen to maintain. HK's stability and prosperity.
Three groups of local academics are visiting China. They consist of a delegation of university and polytechnic lecturers and two left-wing educational groups.
Labour shadow minister Mr. Roland Moyle gave a press conference at the end
of an eight-day visit here on his way home from China. He said that the Chinese Government had told him that it wanted HK people to govern HK, but that did not mean a Government elected by universal suffrage.
It was reported that the plan to build an international airport had been included in Guangdong's latest five-year development plan. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Guangzhou, Mr. Liang Lingguang was elected Governor of Guangdong in the provincial people's congress which ended on 10 April.
A newly published Chinese-language magazine, "The HK News Journal", quoted sources in London saying that a parliamentary group would visit HK in May.
The FCO confirmed that Sir Percy Cradock's term as Ambassador to China had been extended for a short period.
During the period under review, a number of prominent businessmen including the chairman of Chase Manhattan Bank, Mr. David Rockefeller, expressed confidence
about HK's future.
ITEMS:
1.
GOVERNOR'S BEIJING TRIP:
On 31 March, several Chinese newspapers including Wah Kiu Yat Pao, Sing Tao Jih Pao and HK Economic Journal quoted a senior Government official as saying that the Governor would not go to Beijing in the near future to take part in the diplomatic talks. The official reiterated that the Governor would look after HK residents' interest and if necessary, would take part in the talks. The statement prompted some press speculation. The Economic Journal surmised that the diplomatic talks had run into difficulties and that differences over the sovereignty issue had not been reconciled. The two sides were still divided on the question of administrative control. Britain was insisting that there should
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