TNAG-1246-FCO40-1560-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 64

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3.

RESULTS OF OPINION POLL:

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The Oriental Daily News published on 21 January results of its opinion poll on the acceptability of the SAR option. Questionnaires were sent to all 315 DB members, of which only 115 (36.5%) were completed and returned. The results showed only 3.7 per cent of respondents felt Article 31 of China's new Constitution provided an adequate safeguard of HK's future status. Views were divided on whether the SAR option was acceptable, with 35% in favour compared to 42% against. 60 per cent of the returns said the chief executive should be chosen by election, while 81% favoured elections to Exco and Legco or a new municipal assembly in an SAR. None of the respondents felt that the Chinese legal system should be applied to HK. Only 1.5 per cent took the view that all British officials should be replaced. This was the second opinion poll conducted by the paper. Last September it published results of a poll of the public and DB candidates. 70 per cent of respondents then opted for the status quo, while another 23 per cent wanted continuing British administration in HK on reversion of sovereignty to China.

4.

CAMPAIGN TO REJECT SELF-RULE:

The right-wing Kung Sheung Daily News is mounting a campaign opposing China's self-rule proposition by publishing readers' letters on a daily basis responding to an opinion poll being conducted jointly with its sister paper, the Kung Sheung Evening News. Views expressed included continuing British administration here; lack of faith in communist rule; the future HK government would become a puppet of Beijing; handing over sovereignty to Taiwan instead of China; and maintenance of the status quo.

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PRESS LINES:

The left-wing press continued to oppose the transitional period proposition and to pour scorn on the prospect of an extension to British rule in HK. On 18 January, the publisher of Wen Wei Po, Mr. Li Zisong, in a commentary in his paper entitled "No time to wait 30 years more" favouring the self-rule proposals, said the extension of the three unequal treaties would not only be a national disgrace but would also undermine China's interests. For the sake of respecting history and reality, the People's Republic of China would have already waited 48 years since its founding to restore sovereignty over HK; it would have no time to wait 30 years or a generation more. He cited Singapore and Malaysia as examples to show that countries continued to prosper after gaining independence from Britain. He also criticised the remarks of Mr. Ian Wrigglesworth. The following day, a HK Times columnist refuted the argument by saying that both Singapore and Malaysia had become more prosperous only because there was no communist rule, class struggle or political campaigns in these two countries. Should they be placed under communist rule, they would meet with the same fate as Kampuchea and Vietnam. Communist rule was what HK people were afraid of. In a strongly worded editorial on 22 January, Ta Kung Pao reiterated that China's stand on sovereignty was unequivocal and not negotiable.

CONFIDENTIAL