TNAG-1248-FCO40-1562-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 177

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GR 350

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 23D84JZ JUN 33

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 354 OF 23 JUNE

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

INFOR ROUTINE WASHINGTON, CG NEW YORK, UKMIS GENEVA, BRUSSELS (FOR HONG KONG GOVT REPRESENTATIVES)

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE

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THE PASSAGE IN THE QUEEN'S SPEECH ABOUT HONG KONG WAS WIDELY AND PROMINENTLY REPORTED IN BOTH THE ENGLISH AND CHINESE LANGUAGE PRESS HERE ON 23 JUNE. THE TWO LEADING COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERS, TAU KUNG PAO AND WEN WEI PO ALSO REPORTED THE SPEECH IN ROUTINE FASHION. THERE HAS BEEN RELATIVELY LITTLE EDITURIAL COMMENT, BUT MUST PAPERS DREW ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THE QUEEN'S SPEECH REPRESENTED A FORMAL PRESENTATION OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT'S POLICY. THE MING PAO (INDEPENDENT) IN AN EDITORIAL, SAID THAT THE PASSAGE ON HONG KONG COULD BE REGARDED AS A RENEWAL OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. MOST PAPERS NOTED THE SIMILARITIES TO THE MESSAGE SENT BY SECRETARY OF STATE AND MR LUCE.

2. THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL (INDEPENDENT) IN AN EDITORIAL REFERRING TO THE NEWSWEEK STORY (MY TELSNOS 826 AND 837) SAID THAT THE TIMING OF THE TALKS WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR THE PRESERVATION OF HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. HONG KONG WAS RULED BY LAWS RATHER THAN PEOPLE, AND UNTIL CHINA AND BRITAIN HAD SIGNED AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE STATUS OF HONG KONG, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG COULD NOT POSSIBLY HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE.

3. MOST CHINESE LANGUAGE PAPERS REPORTED PROMINENTLY A CHINA NEWS SERVICE DESPATCH FROM PEKING REPORTING A STATEMENT MADE BY HONG KONG INDUSTRIALIST T.K. ANN AT THE CLOSING SESSION OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S POLITICAL CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE (CPPCC). MR AUN IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT THE SITUATION WAS IMPROVING ALL THE TIME AND THAT THERE WAS A BASIS FOR PERMANENT STABILITY. CHINA WAS ALSO STRENGTHENING ITS LEGAL SYSTEM AND THE RULE OF LAW EXISTED IN CHINA. HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE VIEWS OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND STRIVE FOR STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN HONG KONG SINCE TO DO SO WAS TO DEMONSTRATE PATRIOTISM.

CONFIDENTIAL

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Original at: HKK391

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2 4 JUN 1983

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