GRS 750
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 111895Z JUL 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
MKK040/2
RESTRICTED TOP COWED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
TELEGRAM NUMBER 988 OF 11 JULY
12 JUL 1983
DESK
INDEX
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESE WASHINGTON CG NEW HORK BRUSSELS UKMIS GENEVA HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
OFFICE LONON
FUTURE OF HONG KONG : PRESS COVERAGE
1. THE SECOND PHASE OF THE TALKS, THE REFUSAL OF A VISA TO THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES, PETER TSAO, AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT THIS MAY BE LINKED WITH THE GOVERNOR'S REMARKS AT HIS 7 JULY PRESS CONFERENCE, CONTINUE TO ATTRACT CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION IN THE LOCAL PRESS. A NUMBER OF NEWSPAPERS, AS WELL AS THE TWO MAIN T.V. CHANNELS HAVE ALREADY CARRIED REPORTS FROM CORRESPONDENTS SENT TO PEKING TO COVER THE TALKS. THE ARRIVAL IN PEKING OF LI JUSHENG (SECOND DIRECTOR OF NCNA HONG KONG) WAS WIDELY REPORTED. LI REFUSED TO BE DRAWN ON WHETHER HE WOULD BE TAKING PART IN THE TALKS, BUT MOST PAPERS ASSUME THAT HE WILL. SOME PAPERS SPECULATE THAT THE TALKS WOULD BE HELD EITHER AT THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE, OR AT THE DIAO YU TAI GUEST HOUSE.
2. THE REFUSAL OF A VISA TO PETER TSAO WAS WIDELY REPORTED, TOGETHER WITH THE LINE BEING TAKEN BY NCNA WHICH WAS THAT AS MR TSAO'S NAME WAS NOT ON THE LIST OF DELEGATES SUBMITTED BY LONDON, HE SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN THE TALKS. HIS ABSENCE WOULD
NOT AFFECT THE NEGOTIATIONS.
3. THERE HAS BEEN EXTENSIVE EDITORIAL COMMENT ON THIS INCIDENT. THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL (INDEPENDENT) SAID THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN ORDER FOR MR TSAO TO ACCOMPANY THE GOVERNOR TO PEKING AND SUGGESTED THAT THE VISA WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REFUSED WERE IT NOT FOR THE REMARKS MADE DURING THE GOVERNOR'S PRESS CONFERENCE ABOUT REPRESENTING HONG KONG. THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNOR'S REMARKS ABOUT REPRESENTING HONG KONG WERE UNWISE AND MIGHT HAVE CAUSED SOME MISUNDERSTANDING. THIS INCIDENT HAD, HOWEVER, HELPED HONG KONG PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE TALKS WERE ALL ABOUT AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION TO FIGHT FÜR HONG KONG PEOPLES' INTERESTS. THE FINANCIAL DAILY (INDEPENDENT) SUGGESTED THAT THE IDEA OF INCLUDING MR TSAO IN THE PARTY WAS A DELIBERATE AND CALCULATED MOVE BY THE BRITISH SIDE TO TEST CHINA'S INTENTIONS. THE PRO-KMT PRESS PUBLISHED SHRILL CONDEMNATION OF THE CHINESE REFUSAL TO GIVE TSAO A VISA. THE EXPRESS (RIGHT WING) AND THE WAH KIU YAT PO (INDEPENDENT) SAID THAT THESE
INCIDENTS MIGHT GIVE RISE TO FEELINGS AMONG THE PEOPLE THAT THE TALKS WOULD BE DIFFICULT. ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY SHOWED THAT BOTH SIDES WERE VERY SERIOUS ABOUT THE TALKS.
BLOG STRY
Action Taken
CHIL
1118
RESTRICTED
14.
THE
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