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CONFIDENTIAL
COMPDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 190853Z APR 33
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 532 OF 19 APRIL 1983
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
MY TELEGRAM 499.
39
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: ACADEMICS VISIT.
OP COPY
•HKK040/2
HONG AGO.JPY No. 51 2 1 APR 1983
us
THE DELEGATION HAD ONE SESSION WITH LIAO CHENGZHI AND A SEPARATE SESSION WITH TWO OF LIAO'S STAFF AT THE HONG KONG AND MACAU OFFICE, LI HOU AND LU PING. INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION ALSO HAD SOME SEPARATE CONVERSATIONS WITH LI AND LU.
2. LIAO APPEARS TO HAVE GIVEN THEM A FAIRLY STANDARD EXPOSITION
OF THE CHINESE LINE. HE ALSO EMPHASISED THAT CHINA WAS NOW UNIFIED
AND THE PRESENT SET OF ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL OPTIONS WOULD DE
MAINTAINED EVEN AFTER THE DEATH OF THE PRESENT LEADERSHIP. OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST MADE BY LIAO WERE AS FOLLOWS:
A) HONG KONG' S IMPORTANCE TO CHINA AS A SOURCE OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE
WAS LIKELY TO DECLINE AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE CURRENT 5-YEAR
PLAN:
B) FREEDOM OF TRAVEL WOULD REMAIN, BUT DETAILED QUESTIONS LIKE
PASSPORTS NEEDED FURTHER STUDY:
C) THERE ARE 14 YEARS TO GO. BUT TRANSITION BEGINS NOW, AND ALL
TRANSITIONAL MEASURES SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY 1997.
3. IN ADDITION TO QUESTIONS, LIAO MADE THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL
POINTS:
A) THE SAR WOULD NOT BE PART OF GUANGDONG PROVINCE BUT WOULD COME
DIRECTLY UNDER THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT.
B) THE CHINESE WERE WILLING TO LISTEN TO IDEAS FROM HONG KONG
PEOPLE BUT THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE BILATERAL AND HONG KONG PEOPLE
COULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN THEM.
C) BY 1997 HONG KONG WOULD HAVE ITS OWN SUPREME COURT (BY
IMPLICATION NOT ANSWERABLE TO EITHER LONDON OR PEKING).
4. THE MEETINGS WITH LIAO'S COLLEAGUES PROVIDED MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE VISITORS TO MAKE POINTS OF THEIR OWN. BY THEIR OWN ACCOUNT, THE VISITORS MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS OR QUESTIONS OF SUBSTANCE:
A) WOULD THE GOVERNOR BE ACCEPTED AS A HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVE AT
THE NEGOTIATIONS?
ANSWER: HONG KONG DOES NOT NEED A BRITISH PERSON TO REPRESENT THEM.
HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE MEMBERS OF THE SAME FAMILY. WE CAN CONSULT
THEM AT ANY TIME.
B) THE GUARANTEES GIVEN BY THE CHINESE WERE NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR INVESTORS. HAD THE CHINESE CONSIDERED A FURTHER SINO/BRITISH TREATY
BY WAY OF A GUARANTEE.
CONFIDENTIAL
#CUSTRY
Ac són Talon
CHISIS See (49
/ANSWER
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