TNAG-1247-FCO40-1561-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 101

GPS 350

RESTRICTED

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG 150240Z APR 83

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 511 OF 15 APRIL

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

MKK04012 Candid T20IẾT NG. 51

19 APR 1983

FUTURE OF HONG KONG : PRESS COVERAGE.

TOP COPY

My CMS15

my

AN ARTICLE IN THE CANTON DAILY EVENING NEWSPAPER, YANG CHENG WAN BAO, ON 11 APRIL HAS ATTRACTED SOME ATTENTION IN HONG KONG

AND HAS ALSO BEEN PICKED UP BY REUTERS. THE ARTICLE DISCUSSED

HONG KONG'S PROCEDURES FOR ADOPTING NEW LAWS ON ECONOMIC MATTERS.

IT PRAISED THE FACT THAT SUCH MEASURES WERE DISCUSSED IN PUBLIC DISCUSSION. THIS WAS IMPORTANT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG

AS A FREE TRADING PORT. RESPECT FOR THE LAW WAS ALSO IMPORTANT IN MAINTAINING THE FINANCIAL SECURITY OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG.

2. A NUMBER OF HONG KONG NEWSPAPERS HAVE REPORTED THE YANG CHENG ARTICLE. THE MING PAO (INDEPENDENT) PUBLISHED AN EDITORIAL ON

14 APRIL AGREEING WITH THE ARTICLE AND UNDERLINING THE IMPORTANCE

FOR FREEDOM AND THE RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL OF THE RULE OF

LAW.

+

3. THE COMMUNIST TA KUNG PAO ON 14 APRIL PUBLISHED AN INTERVIEW WITH DR EDWARD CHEN, DIRECTOR OF CENTRE OF ASIAN STUDIES AT HONG KONG UNIVERSITY, AND A MEMBER OF THE ACADEMICS DELEGATION TO PEKING. DR CHEN IS REPORTED TO HAVE GAINED THE IMPRESSION THAT THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAVE BEGUN TO ADOPT A SERIES OF MEASURES DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG MAINTAINED ITS VITALITY

AND ADAPTABILITY BETWEEN NOW AND 1997. DR CHEN UNDERSTOOD THAT PEKING HAD NOT MADE A DETAILED STUDY OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE AFTER 1997. IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO DRAW UP DETAILED PLANS NOW BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE SUBJECT TO CHANGES BEFORE 1997. THE BROAD PRINCIPLES HAD BEEN LAID DOWN WHICH WERE BASICALLY TO PRESERVE HONG KONG'S PRESENT SYSTEM, THE CONVERTABILITY OF THE HONG KONG DOLLAR, THE FREE PORT, FREEDOM TO TRAVEL, ETC.

4. THE FINANCIAL DAILY'S (INDEPENDENT) FRONT PAGE LEAD ON 14 APRIL SAID THAT SINO/BRITISH TALKS ON THE FUTURE WOULD NOT RECONVENE UNTIL JUNE. QUOTING 'SOURCES CLOSE TO THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS'', THE ARTICLE SAID THAT THE DELAY WAS BECAUSE THE BRITISH SIDE WISHED TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE 6TH WPC AND BECAUSE THE CHINESE SIDE WERE INVITING VARIOUS HONG KONG DELEGATIONS TO HEAR THEIR VIEWS. THE ARTICLE ALSO REPORTED THAT A GROUP OF YOUNG PROFESSIONANS, INCLUDING SOME UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF LEGCO WOULD VISIT PEKING NEXT MONTH. YOUDE

FUTURE OF HONG KÒNG

142

1

TAMILJUND

HD/HKGD

HD/FED

HD/PUSD

PS

ED/PLANNING STAFF

PS/MR HURD

PS/LORD BELSTEAD

PS/FUS

SIR J BULLARD

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

COPIES TO

SIR I SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER MR BURROWS LEGAL ADVISERS

MR ROBERTS NEWS D

MR MARTIN

MR FLOWER

ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFICE

PUSD

MR. COLES.

[NOT ADVANCED]

RESTRICTED

NO.10. DOWNING

ST.