TNAG-1248-FCO40-1562-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 39

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FM HONG KONG 130343Z AUG 33

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TELEGRAM NUMBER 1195 OF 13 AUGUST

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INFO ROUTINE PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDONT WASHINGTON (FOR HK GOVT REP), CG NEW YORK (FOR HK GOVT REP), BRUSSELS (FOR HK GOVT REP), UKMIS GENEVA (FOR HK GOVT REP)

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY AUG 1983

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1. THE INDEPENDENT PRESS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING SOMETHING OF A DEBATE ABOUT THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE TALKS AND ITS EFFECT ON PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT THE FUTURE.

2. AN EDITORIAL IN THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL ON 12 AUGUST, FOR EXAMPLE, SAID THAT CONFIDENTIALITY WAS UNFAIR TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. PEKING'S PRACTICE OF REVEALING THE CHINESE VIEW- POINT TO VISITING GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS WOULD EVENTUALLY WIN OVER HONG KONG RESIDENTS TO AN UNCRITICAL ACCEPTANCE OF CHINA'S POSITION. BRITAIN, ON THE OTHER HAND ONLY BRIEFED EXCO MEMBERS AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES ('' THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS') ABOUT PROGRESS OF THE TALKS. WHILST SUCH PEOPLE GENERALLY DID NOT LEAK THEIR INFORMATION, THEY NEVERTHELESS USED IT IN ADVISING THEIR COMPANY BOARDS ON FUTURE INVESTMENT. THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL COMPLAINED OF THE UNFAIRNESS OF GIVING SOME PEOPLE ACCESS TO INSIDE INFORMATION. A COLUMNIST IN THE INDEPENDENT MING PAO EVENING NEWS ASKED WHY FOREIGNERS SUCH AS AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER HAYDEN WERE BRIEFED ON THE PROGRESS OF THE TALKS WHILST THOSE MOST CONCERNED, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, WERE KEPT IN THE DARK. THE INDEPENDENT HONG KONG NEWS JOURNAL ALSO REMARKED THAT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE, HONG KONG RESIDENTS WERE KEPT IN THE DARK FOR MOST OF THE TIME DESPITE CHINA'S LEAKING SOME INFORMATION DESIGNED TO BOLSTER CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE.

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3. VERY SIMILAR SENTIMENTS WERE EXPRESSED IN AN EDITORIAL IN THE LATEST EDITION OF THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE WEEKLY ASIAWEEK: THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES WERE SEEKING TO SECURE MAXIMUM ADVANTAGE FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE INTERPRETATIONS OF LOCAL PUBLIC OPINION''. HOWEVER, THE TRUTH WAS THAT HONG KONG'S PEOPLE WERE UNABLE TO SECURE EITHER DIRECT REPRESENTATION AT THE TALKS OR ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE TALKS' PROGRESS. THIS HAD GENERATED A FEELING OF HELPLESSNESS PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM VOICING THEIR OWN VIEWS. THE EDITORIAL URGED BOTH LONDON AND PEKING TO DEVOTE LESS EFFORT TO COURTING PUBLIC OPINION AND MORE EFFORT TO DISCOVERING EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS.

4. THE COMMUNIST TA KUNG PAO AND WEN WEI PO HAVE ALSO CONTIRBUTED TO THE DEBATE BY PUBLISHING THE FULL TEXT OF AN EDITORIAL IN THE AUGUST EDITION OF THE MIRROR MONTHLY MAGAZINE. THE EDITORIAL INSISTED THAT SIR E. YOUDE AS A 3RITISH APPOINTEE, COULD NOT BE

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