GR 400
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 240640Z MAY 33
RESTRICTED
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 721 OF 24 MAY
TOP COPY
MKK040/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 - 7 JUN 1983
REGISTRY
DESK OFFICE
INDEX
*PA
Action Taken
и
CM28)
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING, WASHINGTON (FOR HK GOVT REP), UKMIS GENEVA (FOR HK GOVT REP), BRUSSELS (FOR HK GOVT REP), CG NEW YORK (FOR HK GOVT REP)
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE
THE TELEVISION INTERVIEW WHICH I GAVE ON 20 MAY TO MARK THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF MY ARRIVAL WAS PROMINENTLY REPORTED IN NEWSPAPERS OF ALL POLITICAL PERSUASIONS. THE POINTS TO WHICH MOST ATTENTION WAS PAID WERE:
A) THE STATEMENT THAT THE TALKS WERE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION:
B) THE PROSPECT OF POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR:
C) MY EMPHASIS ON THE REASONS FOR OPTIMISM:
D) THE PROSPECT OF MY JOINING THE TALKS IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT
FUTURE.
2. THERE HAS BEEN EXTENSIVE EDITORIAL COMMENT, MOSTLY POSITIVE. THE COMMUNIST PRESS, WHICH REPORTED THE INTERVIEW FACTUALLY, HAS SO FAR NOT (NOT) COMMENTED. THE MING PAO (INDEPENDENT) SINGLED OUT MY REMARKS ABOUT THE ASPIRATIONS OF LOCAL RESIDENTS FOR CONTINUITY OF LIFE STYLE AND OF THEIR FREEDOM. THESE THINGS NEEDED TO BE SAFEGUARDED BY LAWS AND AN ESTABLISHED SYSTEM, AND NOT BY EMPTY PHRASES SUCH AS "HONG KONG PEOPLE TO GOVERN HONG KONG''. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS (INDEPENDENT) PRAISED BRITISH DISCRETION IN THE TALKS AND DESCRIBED MY REMARKS AS PRAGMATIC. THE WAH KIU YAT PO SAID THAT MY STATEMENTS WERE NOT DEFINITIVE ENOUGH TO ALLAY PEOPLES' FEARS ABOUT 1997, ALTHOUGH AS AN INTERIM REPORT THEY WERE QUITE REASSURING. THE (PRO-KMT) HONG KONG TIMES SAID THAT IT WAS RIGHT TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON THE 1997 QUESTION: HONG KONG WAS NOW AT A TURNING POINT AND WAS FACED WITH THE CHOICE OF REMAINING A FREE AND PROSPEROUS SOCIETY OR BECOMING ENSLAVED. THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST INTERPRETED MY REMARKS ABOUT THE TALKS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS MEANING THAT BOTH SIDES
RESTRICTED
/ WERE
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