TNAG-1248-FCO40-1562-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 172

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THAN WHAT THEY BELIEVED THE LEADERSHIP WISHED TO HEAR. OF THE

HONG KONG PEOPLE VISITING PEKING RECENTLY, ONLY THE YOUNG

PROFESSIONALS HAD HAD THE COURAGE TO SPEAK OUT. CHANG HAD BEEN

TOLD BY AN ''EXPERT'' IN THE CHINESE MFA THAT THE DECLINE OF THE

HONG KONG DOLLAR AND THE FALLS IN THE STOCK AND PROPERTY MARKETS

WERE THE RESULT OF DELIBERATE MANIPULATION BY THE BRITISH IN

ORDER TO PUT PRESSURE ON CHINA. DECISIONS MADE ON THE BASIS OF

SUCH ADVICE WOULD NOT (NOT) BE PRAGMATIC.

3. THE COMMUNIST PRESS ON 26 JUNE CARRIED PROMINENTLY A CHINA

NEWS SERVICES DESPATCH QUOTING DENG XIAOPING AS HAVING TOLD

HONG KONG AND MACAU DELEGATES THAT CHINA'S POLICY TOWARDS HONG

KONG WOULD NOT CHANGE FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF LIAO CHENGZHI.

RELEVANT ORGANISATIONS WERE STILL IN PLACE. PRESIDENT LI XIANNIAN

AND PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG WOULD IN FUTURE TAKE ON RESPONSIBILITY

FOR HONG KONG.

YOUDE

TULUE OF HONG KONG

COPIES TO

HD/BKD

HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF

HD/PUSD PS

PS/LADY YOUNG

PS/MR LUCE

PS/FUS

SIR J BULLARD

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD MR WRIGHT

SIR I SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER MR BURROWS LEGAL ADVISERS

MR ROBERTS

MR MARTIN

MR FLOWER

NEWS D

ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFICE

PUSD

MR COLES NO 10 DOWNING STREET

SIR A PARSONS IT

MR. WALKER

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n

RESEARCH. D.

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