TNAG-1248-FCO40-1562-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 19

'GOVERNMENT'S ATTEMPTS TO QUOTE MANUFACTURE A PUBLIC OPINION CARD UNQUOTE. THE TA KUN PAO SAID THAT SUCH A CARD WOULD BE A QUOTE SURE LOOSER UNQUOTE. IN AN IMPLIED COMMENT ON THE QUOTE HONG KONG WEEK UNQUOTE DEBATE ABOUT ELECTIONS, ONE OF THE MINOR COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERS, THE CHING PO, SAID THAT ANY ATTEMPT BY THE HONG KONG --GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE A MEASURE OF ELECTIVE DEMOCRACY WOULD BE

DESIGNED SOLELY TO PERPETUATE COLONIAL AUTHORITY. THERE WERE APPARENTLY CONTRADICTORY REMARKS MADE BY A LOCAL BUSINESSMAN AND DELEGATE TO THE CPPCC, MR HO SAI-CHU, WHO WAS REPORTED AS HAVING TOLD THE HONG KONG WEEK SEMINAR THAT CHINA WOULD PROBABLY WELCOME THE INTRODUCTION OF AN ELECTIVE ELEMENT IN APPOINTMENTS OF EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS (BY IMPLICATION BY THE BRITISH). (COMMENT: HO SAICHU WAS NOT KNOWN AS BEING PARTICULARLY PRO- COMMUNST BEFORE ACCEPTING THE APPOINTMENT TO THE CPPCC. HIS REMARKS ARE LIKELY THEREFORE TO BE PERSONAL SPECULATION).

5. THE COMMUNIST PRESS ALSO ATTACKED REMARKS MADE BY TWO VISITING LABOUR MPS, MR DORMAND AND MR CALLAGHAN (MY TELNO 1254). AT THEIR PRESS CONFERENCE DORMAND AND CALLAGHAN CALLED FOR MORE DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG'S GOVERNMENT AND FOR A SUSTAINED EFFORT BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO ASCERTAIN THE WISHES OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE. IN REPLY TO A QUESTION, THEY SAID THAT THE CHINESE HAD IMPLIED THAT THEY RECOGNISED THE EXISTENCE AF NOT THE VALIDITY OF THE TREATIES SINCE OTHERWISE THE CHINESE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD CAUSE TO AGREE TO NEGO- TIATIONS WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. THE COMMUNIST PRESS DESCRIBED SUCH REMAKRS AS QUOTE THE UGLY FACE OF COLONIALISM UNQUOTE. THEY REPEATED IN A FAIRLY INDIGNANT TONE THAT HONG KONG WAS A PART OF CHINA'S SACRED TERRITORY AND SAID THAT THE MPS SHOULD HAVE GONE

HOME EARLIER.

5. A DINNER GIVEN IN HONOUR OF XU JIATUN (DIRECTOR OF NONA HONG KONG) BY THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES ON 26 AUGUST ALSO ATTRACTED WIDESPREAD PRESS COVERAGE. XU MADE A SPEECH ON STANDARD LINES. HE REPEATED HU YAOBANG'S REMARKS TO THE EFFECT THAT CHINA HAD A COMPLETE SET OF POLOCIES FOR HONG KONG. HU SAID THAT CONFIDENC WOULD CONTINUE TO GROW AS PEOPLE'S APPRECIATION OF CHINA'S CLEAR STANCE INCREASED. UNIFICATION OF THE MOTHERLAND WAS A SACRED DUTY OF ALL ONE BILLION CHINESE PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE FIVE MILLION RESIDENTS OF HONG KONG.

HADDON-CAVE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

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