TNAG-1248-FCO40-1562-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 30

190)

GPS 350

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FM HONG KONG 170855Z AUG 83

TO ROUTINE FCO

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TELEGRAM NUMBER 1219 OF 17 AUGUST 1983

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HKK040/2

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, HONG KONGRECEIVED IN REGISTRY GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, BRUSSELS AND UKMIS GENEVA

CAUU 1983

OFFICER

INDEA

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE

1. FURTHER PRESS REACTION TO HU YAOBANG'S STATEMENT (MY TELNO 1208)

HAS BEEN RELATIVELY SUBDUED. THE CONSENSUS VHEW IS THAT THE STATEMENT REPRESENTS LITTLE THAT IS NEW IN SUBSTANCE, ALTHOUGH

HU INDICATED THAT CHINA IS PREPARED TO WAIT UNTIL 1997. IN OTHER WORDS, HONG KONG WILL ENJOY BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR A FURTHER 14 YEARS. NEVERTHELESS, AT LEAST ONE NEWSPAPER (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST) HAS COMMENTED THAT A CONTINUED REPNITATION OF QUOTE THE CHINESE THREAT UNQUOTE CAN LEAD ONLY TO ALARM AND ULTIMATELY

DESPAIR.

2. THE NEW EVENING POST (COMMUNIST) WARNED THAT CHINA WOULD TAKE BACK HONG KONG EVEN EARLIER THAN 1997 IF QUOTE SUBVERSIVE ELEMENTS UNQUOTE TRIED TO ROCK THE BOAT. HU YAOBANG'S REMAKRS HAD MADE CLEAR THAT SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMINISTRATION WERE INSEPARABLE, SO WHEN LOCAL RESIDENTS EXPRESSED THEIR VIEWS ON THE FUTURE THESE SHOULD BE CONFINED TO WAYS OF MAINTAINING THE PROSPERITY OF THE TERRITORY ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLE OF QUOTE HONG KONG PEOPLE TO GOVERN HONG KONG UNQUOTE. A COLUMNIST IN THE COMMERC PAL DAILY (COMMUNIST) SAID THAT HU YAOBANG HAD NOT LEAKED ANY INSIDE INFOR- MATION BUT HAD SIMPLY SOUGHT TO BOOST CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. THE

COLUMNIST ACCUSED QUOTE SOME ELEMENTS UNQUOTE OF EXPLOITING THE CURRENT RECESS IN THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS TO WHIP UP UNNECESSARY

AND HARMFUL PRESSURE FROM RIGHT-WING ORGANISATIONS.

3. THE INDEPENDENT PRESS PUBLISHED COMMENTS FROM A HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN THAT QUOTE THE ONLY AUTHENTIC INFORMATION IS THAT WHICH EMERGES OFFICIALLY FROM THE TALKS UNQUOTE. OTHERWISE,

COMMENT WAS CONFINED TO A RENTERATION OF THE IMPRACTICABILITY OF

THE PROPOSITION THAT QUOTE HONG KONG PEOPLE RULE HONG KONG

ACCORDING TO HONG KONG LAWS UNQUOTE.

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HEGISTRY

Action Taken

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