TNAG-1246-FCO40-1560-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 18

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Guangdong not_capitalist: The Asian Wall Street Journal of 25/26 February contained a feature about Guangdong which stated there was no question the Province was firmly attached to socialist China but, bordering "freewheeling" HK, it had always been the most open of China's provinces. Some of these "values" were spilling over into other provinces and were being resisted. A Guangdong official denied at a National People's Congress session that it had gone capitalist which indicated that ideological conflicts between Guangdong and other parts of China had intensified. The article referred to the activities of smugglers from HK selling consumer goods to neighbouring provinces at sky-high prices. It said Guangdong residents enjoyed a standard of living that was substantially higher than in other provinces; to residents of these provinces, Guangdong was quite different largely due to the influence of HK. There was mention of "conflict" between Guangdong and the Shenzhen SEZ which was more capitalistic and westernised than Guangdong. A barbed wire fence was being built to separate Shenzhen from the rest of the province: This might help to stop smuggled goods from reaching Shenzhen, but it would take toughter and more prudent measures to prevent bourgeois values from penetrating the rest of China. The battle against capitalist influences would continue as long as China continued to remain open to the world.

New faces in Guangdong?: The SCMP on 25 February carried a report that a crucial provincial congress of the Chinese Communist Party was taking place in Guangdong which would have a profound effect on HK; it would be the first time a major change of personnel would take place with the retirement of many incumbent, elderly veterans who had been dealing with both provincial matters and relations with HK for the better part of 20 years. These would be replaced by younger leaders, either transferred from other departments or promoted from the lower ranks. Observers expected many new faces in leading positions and speculation had been high that the Governor, Mr. Liu Tianfu, was to step down. Successors had been rumoured to be a provincial party secretary, Mr. Wang Quanguo, or the Mayor of Guangzhou, Mr. Liang Lingguang.

The latest rumour to come from the provincial capital was that a former director of the NCNA in HK, Mr. Liang Weilin, might take over leadership of the provincial government. Beyond this speculation, there was little as to the new personnel in the Province. There could be total reorganisation with Mr. Ren Zhongyi taking over a new post of Party Secretary assisted by several deputy secretaries in a provincial secretariat.

Seventies Monthly: The magazine interviewed various senior people in the Government, who pointed out that HK was already being governed by HK people. Those quoted included Mr. Donald Tsang, District Officer Sha Tin; Mr. Michael Suen, Deputy Secretary for Transport: and Mr. David Akers-Jones, Secretary for District Administration. Mr. Tsang said a democratic election system might not be suitable for HK and there was no guarantee that it would produce a good government. What HK citizens needed most was a free and non- interfering government which would be approachable and answerable to the people. Mr. Suen said a lot of people remarked that HK people enjoyed a high level of freedom, but HK was not a democratic society. He said the HK Government was a rational government and it would take the initiative to amend its policies if needed.

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