TNAG-1246-FCO40-1560-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 27

GR 150

SECRET

FUTURE EGRET

HKK 040/2 FOP COPY

MAR 1983

31

AF"

SECRET

The Hors

•Man's 18/3 Ps. Nothing to add here

16/3

FM HONG KONG 161010Z MAR 83

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 362 OF 16 MARCH

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

FUTURE EGRET

18

YOUR TELIO 240: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.

1

1. WE AGREE WITH THE COMMENT IN YOUR PARA 2. SOME OF Tlic INDEPENDENT CHINESE LANGUAGE PAPERS (EG THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL) HAVE ALSO MADE THE POINT THAT REFERENCE NEWS'' IS AN IMPROBABLE VEHICLE FOR A MAJOR POLICY ANNOUNCEMENT. THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE PRO-KMT HONG KONG TIMES HARDLY ADDS

CREDIBILITY TO THE STORY.

2. IN ITS EDITORIAL COMMENT ON 11 MARCH THE PRO-COMMUNIST NEW EVENING POST SUGGESTED THAT THE STORY WAS NO MORE THAN A KMT-INSPIRED DISTORTION OF CHINA'S STANDARD POSITION ON THE RECOVERY OF SOVEREIGNTY. ONE POSSIBILITY (FOR WHICH, HOWEVER, WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE) IS THAT THE SOURCE COULD HAVE PICKED UP A REFERENCE TO WHAT ZHOA ZIYANG SAID TO THE PRESS IN TANZANIA (MY TELNO 73) WHICH IS VERY MUCH THE KIND OF MATERIAL NORMALLY FOUND IN ''REFERENCE NEWS''.

3. THERE HAS BEEN NO FOLLOW UP TO THE STORY NOR HAVE WE SO FAR SEEN ANY REFERENCES TO A SEPTEMBER DATE

YOUDE LIMITED MD/HK+GD

HO/FED MR DONALD

SECRET

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED

IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER

SECTION 3 (4) OF THE

PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958