TNAG-1248-FCO40-1562-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 182

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3. REMARKS MADE BY THE DIRECTOR DESIGNATE OF NONA HONG KONG, XU JIATUN, TO A SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE NPC WERE WIDELY REPORTED IN THE LOCAL PRESS OVER THE WEEKEND. PARTICULAR ATTENTION WAS PAID TO HIS ASSERTION THAT SOVEREIGNTY WAS NOT NEGOTIABLE. 4. FOLLOWING THE WEN WEI PO ARTICLE REPORTED IN PARAGRAPH 5 OF MY TELNO 818, THE TA KUNG PAO PUBLISHED A COMMENTARY ON 19 JUNE WHICH MAY ALSO BE READ AS A RESPONSE TO THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS' MEMORANDUM. THE ARTICLE SUGGESTED THAT AS HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE CHINESE PEOPLE, SELF RULE WAS ANOTHER FORM OF CHINESE RULE. SINCE LOCAL RESIDENTS WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO LET THEM ADMINISTER THE TERRITORY. CHINESE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ALREADY OCCUPIED SENIOR PROFESSIONAL AND MANAGERIAL POSTS AS WELL AS SOME TOP LEVEL POSTS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE. AFTER CHINA REGAINED SOVEREIGNTY, LOCAL PEOPLE WOULD BE GIVEN THROUGH LEGISLATION THE RIGHT TO ADMINISTER THE TERRITORY AND THEIR SITUATION WOULD BE MUCH BETTER. THE ARTICLE REPEATED SOME OF THE HISTORICAL ARGUMENTS MENTIONED IN THE EARLIER WEN WEI PO COMMENTARY AND CONCLUDED WITH AN APPEAL TO LOCAL PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES AS CHINESE. WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME THE AUTHOR BELIEVED THAT THERE WOULD BE MANY MORE LOCAL CHINESE WILLING TO WORK TOGETHER FOR HONG KONG'S CONTINUED PROSPERITY.

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