TNAG-1246-FCO40-1560-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 123

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only pay attention to official statements. Commenting on this, HK Daily News said Mr. Bray's statement was aimed at reducing the impact of 1997 speculation on HK's economy. On the talks, the editor of Pai Shing Semi-Monthly, Mr. Hu Chu-jen, regarded China's tactic of making known its intentions outside the talks as a sign that the negotiations might have hit snags. Dr. Joseph Cheng (CU) said the "HK people to administer HK" option was a tactic to weaken Britain's bargaining power because, if HK people accepted the proposition, it would mean that Britain's future role in HK would be minimal. On the other hand, local residents' insistence on status quo would be an advantage to the British side because it signalled that Britain would continue to play a strong role. The city editor of Pai Shing, Mr. Wong Kwok-wah, observed that while a lot of people were trying desperately to find out from Britain and China what our future would hold, few would seek an assurance from the HK Government. He regretted that there were no effective channels for the Government to canvass public opinion on the issue. The editor-in-chief of Asiaweek, Mr. Michael O'Neill, said in a TV interview that strong economic activities were the best guarantee for the future of HK in terms of maintenance of status quo. He said the foreign community here had been reassuring itself that nothing bad could happen to HK because China could not run this place. Naturally, Beijing wanted to find out whether such a sentiment was prevailing here. Executive director of the HK General Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Jimmy McGregor, said in the 1982 ATV-2 review that the Prime Minister had demonstrated very clearly her personal sincerity and the commitment of her Government to the people of HK. He believed that the British Government was now totally committed to reaching an agreeable solution and a settlement might be reached next year.

Also speaking in the programme, Miss Christine Loh of the

HK Observers said although both London and Beijing said they were interested to hear the views of HK people on the territory's future the two sides had not made known the mechanism they used to achieve this goal. She also said if there were no formal consultative procedures, HK people should speak up. Community leader and property developer, Mr. Ng Tor-tai, said in a luncheon speech reported in the Chinese press and on radio that HK should be placed under British trusteeship as a transitional arrangement upon expiry of the NT lease. This would ensure British administration until China achieved its modernisation. He said assurances that HK would become an SAR were not good enough as a guarantee to maintain HK's prosperity.

Former Governor, Sir David Trench, holidaying in HK, warned against speculation and said people should get on with the job after all there were still 15 vears to go. He said however it was natural that the shadow of 1997 should worry people, and they had a right to express their opinions publicly about the kind of agreement they would like to see reached, but it was hopeless to speculate on the outcome of these discussions. Urban Council Chairman, Mr. Hilton Cheong-Leen, told the SCMP our concern for 1983 was to preserve and strengthen long-term confidence in HK; Urban Councillor, Mrs. Elsie Elliott, said we should be seeing some results from the talks and possibly some hope that things might not be as bad as at first feared; CIC president, Mr. L.K. Ding, said

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