TNAG-1245-FCO40-1559-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 87

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UNITED FRONT WORK:

Issue No. 7 of Hongqi (Red Flag) magazine said compatriots in HK, Macau and Taiwan were rated No. 9 in the 10 categories of people at whom China's united front (propaganda) work was aimed, according to criteria set by the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Mr. Hu Yaobang.

The other categories of people are:

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democrats;

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2. non-aligned, well-known personalities;

non-aligned intellectuals;

people whose former occupations were businessmen and industrialists;

the upper echelons of minority tribesmen;

patriotic religious leaders;

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families and relatives of people staying in Taiwan; and

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ethnic Chinese who have returned to China from abroad or are still overseas.

The article, which focused on united front work, said fundamental united front work was to establish a highly civilised society. In the process, mistakes were made and rectified. The outstanding problems were being tackled. The article said compatriots in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau and overseas Chinese were also making contributions to the unification of the motherland. Explaining the concept of united front, the article said people who supported unification, but were against the socialist system, were still considered patriotic.

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PRESS LINES:

During the week, independent papers commented on a wide range of topics, while the left-wing press was relatively quiet.

Commenting on a call by some local industrialists, including Legco member, Mr. Allen Lee, to buy HK products, the HK Economic Journal said it might not be in HK's interest to "buy HK" because, in so doing, it would reduce China's foreign exchange earnings in HK and thereby weaken its intention to maintain the stability of HK.

In another editorial, the paper attributed the weakening of the HK dollar to the territory's uncertain future. The fact that HK people did not want to keep their money in local currency did not mean that they did not love HK; they were dumping the HK dollar simply because its value had been eroded. Also commenting on the subject, the right-wing Kung Sheung Daily News said the fall in the value of the local unit resulted from remarks made by the academics who recently returned from a visit to China.

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