TNAG-1247-FCO40-1561-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 90

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Referring to a plan revealed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget to set up free ports in Britain, the paper said Britain, as well as many other countries, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and South Korea, were trying to or had already set up free ports modelled on HK. This indicated that HK's success was built on factors other than a sound legal system and confidence in the territory. Though it remained to be seen whether Britain's free port programme would be modelled on HK, it was a well-known fact that Mrs. Thatcher was an admirer of HK.

12.

ENGLISH-LANGUAGE PRESS:

The English-language papers covered most of the major items which appeared in the Chinese-language press, giving particular prominence to the nuclear power plant talks. Other items were:

Government concerned with Taiwan intervention: The SCMP on 17 March

reported that the Government was concerned over the intervention of Taiwan supporters in the 1997 debate, pointing to the petition at Government House as the most worrying example.

HK's young people: The Urban Councillor, Miss Maria Tam, told a seminar that HK's young people must equip themselves well for the future because HK had no natural

resources except its people.

China oil: The SCMP on 15 March reported that Britain's Trade Secretary, Mr.

Patrick Jenkin, said China has told the British Government that HK would play a vital role in the development of South China Sea oil resources, an assurance seen in London as welcome evidence of Beijing's attitude to the territory's future.

The Governor: The SCMP on 16 March, quoting a Government source, reported

that the talks on HK's future had reached a point when the Governor's direct participation was called for; the following day, the paper carried a correction, inserting the all-important word "not" between "had" and "reached."

Attorney General: The SCMP on 18 March gave details of the speech delivered

at the Zonta Club by the Attorney-General, Mr. John Griffiths, in which he talked about HK's "home grown" democracy. Mr. Griffiths refused to answer questions referring to negotiations about HK's future. However, the Post did quote him as saying that it had been impossible to go to a lunch or dinner over the past nine months without the conversation turning to 1997.

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