TNAG-1247-FCO40-1561-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 125

GR 220

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 090440Z APR 83

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 482 OF 9 APR

MKK04012

HAND IN G6.41 ND. $1 12 APR 1983

See (35)

Sie

(34)

by

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

INDER

CH 1818

MIPT: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: CHINESE PRESS COMMENT.

1. THE COMMUNIST NEW EVENING POST CARRIED AN EDITORIAL ON 7 APRIL

COMMENTING ON AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PRIME MINISTER IN THE ASIAN

WALL STREET JOURNAL ON 4 APRIL. THE EDITORIAL SAID THAT THE INTERVIEW

WAS SIGNIFICANT FOR WHAT THE PRIME MINISTER HAD NOT SAID. SHE

HAD NOT REFERRED TO THE VALIDITY OF THE TREATIES, WHICH COULD BE

SAID TO BE AN ENCOURAGING STEP FORWARD. BUT HER UNDERSTANDING

WAS STILL IMPERFECT BECAUSE SHE HAD SAID THAT THE REASON FOR NEGOTIATING WAS THE EXPIRY OF THE LEASE IN 1997: THE TRUE REASON

FOR NEGOTIATING WAS THAT SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG

BELONGED TO CHINA AND IT WAS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO EXAMINE WAYS

OF ENDING BRITISH RULE WHILST MAINTAINING STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.

THE PRIME MINISTER'S REFERENCE TO HONG KONG'S CHINESE CHARACTER

AND PRESENT ADMINISTRATION AS THE STARTING POINT FOR THE

DISCUSSIONS WAS DESCRIBED AS AMBIGUOUS. HONG KONG'S CHINESE

CHARACTER WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT WAS AN INALIENABLE PART

OF CHINESE TERRITORY AND A SOCIETY OF CHINESE PEOPLE. ITS GROWTH

AS A TRADING PORT AND FINANCIAL CENTRE WERE DEPENDENT ON CHINA.

DISCUSSION OF STABILITY AND PROSPERITY COULD ONLY BE ON THE

PREMISE THAT CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY WAS RECOGNIZED. AS FOR

ADMINISTRATION, IF THE PRIME MINISTER'S REMARKS MEANT PRESERVING

THE GENERAL LEGAL AND ORGANISATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRESENT

ADMINISTRATION, THIS WAS ACCEPTABLE. IF THEY MEANT THE PRESERVATION OF BRITISH CONTROL, THIS COULD NOT BE TOLERATED.

THE PRIME MINISTER SHOULD LIVE UP TO THE CHINESE NAME WHICH

HONG KONG PEOPLE HAD GIVEN HER (WHICH MEANS ''OUTSTANDING'') AND

PUT AN END TO THE LAST REMAINING PROBLEM OF BRITISH COLONIAL

RULE IN ASIA.

YOUDE

FUTURE OF HONG KÒNG

THEMILUND

HD/HKGD

HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF

ED/PUSD

PS

PS/MR HURD

PS/LORD BELSTEAD

PS/PUS

SIR J BULLARD

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

COPIES TO

SIR I SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER MR BURROWS LEGAL ADVISERS

MR ROBERTS NEWS D

· MR MARTIN

ASSESSMENTS STAFF

CABINET OFFICE

MR FLOWER

PUSD

MR COLES NO 10 DOWNING STREET

CONFIDENTIAL