Private Secretary
ofotary
A, B 252 253) 1.
CONFIDENTIAL
MKICO 40/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
14.
INDE
Serety of State
Sevety
FROM: RD CLIFT, HKD DATE: 5 October 1983
cc PS/Mr Luce PS/PUS
CT 1983
ALGISTRY
азвели
Mr Giffard
Mr Donald
Mr Thomson, FED
(254)
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: NCNA COMMENTARY
Peking telnos 987 and 988 of 5 October report an NCNA commentary today criticising the Prime Minister's 23 September remarks on Hong Kong.
2. In their telegram of comment Peking suggest that while this is part of the propaganda pressure on the UK, the commentary may also be intended to deal with potential internal criticism of a nationalist nature of the Chinese Government's continued pursuit of talks with the UK over Hong Kong.
3.
I have discussed this with FED. Their view is that there is no evidence to confirm Peking's speculation. The Embassy have recently been arguing that there may be signs of a split between Hu Yao Bang and Zhao Ziyang on foreign affairs. With the important proviso that we can never be sure what is happening among the Chinese leadership, this idea is not proven. However, with a plenary session of the Central Committee of the CCP coming up soon it may be that the leadership wish to show their nationalist credentials in the best possible light and the frenentic character of recent propaganda may conceivably owe something to this. But I am sure that much more important is the Chinese concern to put pressure on us.
5 October 1983
CONFIDENTIAL
in
R D Clift
Hong Kong Department
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