GR 220 RESTRICTED
DESKBY 110900Z
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 110504Z MAR 83
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 334 OF 11 MARCH
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
FUTURE OF HONG KONG PRESS COVERAGE
TOP COPY
Ник
Akk 040/:
14 MAR 1983
THE INDEPENDENT ORIENTAL DAILY AND THE PRO-KMT HONG KONG TIMES
ON 11 MARCH CARRY AS THEIR FRONT PAGE LEAD A REPORT THAT AN
INTERNAL CHINESE DOCUMENT CIRCULATING ON THE MAINLAND REVEALS
CHINA'S INTENTION OF RESUMING SOVEREIGNTY IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR.
BOTH NEWSPAPERS APPEAR TO BE QUOTING THE SAME SOURCE, BUT THERE ARE DIFFERENCES OF DETAIL BETWEEN THE TWO STORIES. THE ORIENTAL
DAILY DOES NOT MENTION THE DATE OF SEPTEMBER, BUT WE KNOW FROM
THE EDITORIAL STAFF THAT THEIR SOURCE REFERRED TO SEPTEMBER AND
THE PAPER DECIDED NOT TO PUBLISH THE DATE. THE ORIENTAL DAILY SAYS
THAT THE SOURCE OF THE INFORMATION IS A COPY OF REFERENCE NEWS
**CAN KAO XIAO XI'' SEEN BY HONG KONG RESIDENTS RETURNING FROM A
VISIT TO FUJIAN. THE HONG KONG TIMES IS LESS EXPLICIT ABOUT THE
SOURCE, BUT DOES MENTION THE SEPTEMBER DATE. THE SOUTH CHINA
MORNING POST ON 11 MARCH REFERS TO THE ORIENTAL DAILY AND HONG KONG
TIMES STORIES ON AN INSIDE PAGE.
2. THE EDITOR OF THE HONG KONG TIMES TELEPHONED THE DIRECTOR OF
INFORMATION SERVICES LAST NIGHT ABOUT THE STORY AND ASKED FOR A
COMMENT. HE WAS TOLD THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAD NO COMMENT
TO MAKE. THE HONG KONG TIMES' STORY QUOTES A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN
AS SAYING THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAD HEARD NOTHING OF THE
SORT.
3. TRANSLATIONS OF THE TWO ARTICLES ARE BEING FACSIMILIED TO THE LONDON OFFICE.
HADDON-CAVE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LUMILLED
ED/EKGD
HD/FED
HD/PLANNING STAFF
HD/PUSD
PS
PS/MR HURD
PS/LORD BELSTEAD PS/FUS
SIR J BULLARD
MR GIFFARD
MR DONALD
COPIES TO
SIR I SINCLAIR
MR ROBERTS
LEGAL ADVISER
NEWS D
MR COLES
MR MARTIN
ANS
15
Sed n
NO 10 DOWNING STREET
ASSESSMENTS STAFF
CABINET OFFICE
HONG KONG Govt Office LONDON
8
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