TNAG-1248-FCO40-1562-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 35

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TELEGRAM NUMBER 1284 OF 15 AUGUST

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INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, WASHINGTON (FOR MK GOVT REP), CG NEW YORK (FOR HK GOVT BRUSSELS( FOR HK GOVT REP), UKNIS GENEVA (FOR HK GOVT REP)

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE

MKK040/2

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

་༦་

AUG 1983

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA 1. THE MAIN STORY OVER THE WEEKEND APPEARED AS AN EXBLUSIVE

REPORT' IN THE SING PAU (INDEPENDENT) WHICH CLAIMED THAT AN

(UNNAMED) SENIOR OFFICIAL OF NONA HAD TOLD LOCAL LEFT-WING

(107)

REGISTRY

Action, Taken

SOA LIS

INTELLECTUALS THAT CHINA WOULD DEFINITELY RECOVER THE WHOLE OF HONG All he coveredd

#

KONG IN JULY 1997. THE DATE WOULD NOT BE BROUGHT FORWARD OR PUT

BACK **UNLESS SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES AROSE''. THEREAFTER, THERE

WOULD BE NO **THREE-LEGGED STOOL' ADMINISTRATION JOINTLY BY THE

CHINESE, BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS. THE TERRITORY'S FUTURE GOVERNOR WOULD NOT BE BRITISH BUT WOULD BE APPOINTED BY

PEKING. THE OFFICIAL WAS ALSO QUOTED AS HAVING SAID THAT HONG

KONG'S RESERVES SHOULD BE HANDED BACK TO THE HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT.

In what prus

op

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2. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE HONG KONG STANDARD REPRODUCED SING PAU'S

REPORT ON MONDAY. IT MADE THE SAME POINTS BUT ADDED ITS OWN GLOSS

ON THE THREE-LEGGED STOOL' OR JOINT ADMINISTRATION BY CHINA,

SRITAIN AND HONG KONG BY ATTRIBUTING THE PROPOSAL TO LORD BELSTEAD.

3. THE THREE MAIN COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERS (TA KUNG PAO, WEN WET PO

AND THE NEW EVENING POST) HAVE ALL PUBLISHED EDITORIALS IN THE

PAST FEW DAYS WHICH INDICATE A STEPPING UP OF THE PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN. APART FROM ASSERTING THAT SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMINISTRATION

ARE INSEPARABLE, THE OTHER THEMES OF THESE EDITORIALS HAVE BEEN:

(A) BRITISH COLONIAL RULE IN HONG KONG MUST BE ENDED.

(B) HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY IS A RESULT OF MANY FACTORS, BUT

THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA IS THE KEY TO FUTURE PROSPERITY.

(C) CASTING DOUBTS ON WHETHER BRITAIN HAS ADMINISTERED HONG KONG

IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE.

EXAMPLE, THE NEW EVEING POST SAID "IT IS UNREALISTIC TO HOPE

THAT THE TEMPORARY ADMINISTRATIVE RIGHT WHICH HAD BEEN ILLEGALLY

OBTAINED BY FORCE, CAN BE LEGALLY EXTENDED THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS'',

4. THE COMMUNIST PRESS AND THE INDEPENDENT PRESS HAVE CONTINUED

TO ARGUE ABOUT PUBLIC OPINION. THE TA KUNG PAO REPORTED A RECENT

MEETING OF THE COMMUNIST CONTROLLED MOTOR TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION

(MTWU) WHICH HAD ENDORSED THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION, AND

SAID THAT SUCH EXPRESSIONS OF PUBLIC OPINION CALLED INTO QUESTION

THE ABILITY OF GOVERNMENT APPOINTED UMELCO MEMBERS ACCURATELY TO

REFLECT PUBLIC OPINION. THE PAPER CALLED FOR MORE GENUINE''

EXPRESSIONS OF OPINION.

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