249
(252)
GRS 700
UNCLASSIFIED
FROM PEKING 0508552 OCT 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 987 OF 5/10/83
WENDI GONDŲ ABASIDEN
REPEATED FOR INFO TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG-
ARTONOPY
MEDIABO S70
2861 -
AYISIDER NI OBA/2034
MKK040/12
Sea (253) (254)
MY TELNO 973: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: XINHUA COMMENTARY
1. PEOPLES DAILY OF 5 OCTOBER CARRIES A LENGHTY NCNA
COMMENTARY CRITICAL OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S 23 SEPTEMBER REMARKS ON HONG KONG. TEXT IS AS FOLLOWS.
BEGINS:
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER MARGARET THATCHER'S RECENT STATEMENT ON THE HONG KONG ISSUE AGAIN REVEALED BRITAIN'S INTENTION TO CONTINUE IT SOLONIAL RULE OVER HONG KONG AND TO FIND NEW PRETEXTS TO PREVENT CHINA FROM RESUMING THE EXERCISE OF HER SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG.
MRS. THATCHER SAID IN HER STATEMENT TO AAERICAN REPORTERS IN LONODON ON SEPTEMBER 23 THAT ''BUT FOR THE PECULIAR SITUATION OF HONG KONG AND THE LEASES (OF THE NEW TERRITORIES), BUT FOR THAT, HAD IT BEEN AN ORDINARY BRITISH COLONY, SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN INDEPENDENT YEARS AGO.
**SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN
ANOTHER SINGAPORE''
?
SHE STATED THAT BRITAIN CANNOT BE ACCUSED OF COLONIALISM IN ANY WAY 1 IN RELATION TO HONG KONG.
**BRITAIN DOESN'T TAKE A PENNY PIECE OUT OF HONGKONG''
AND IS ONLY CONCEREND ABOUT THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE
OF HONG KONG, SHE ALLEGED.
IT IS KNOWN TO ALL THAT HONG KONG HAS SINCE ANCIENT TIMES BEEN PART OF CHINESE TERRITORY. IT WAS ONLY IN 1840 THAT BRITISH COLONIALISTS CROSSED VAST OCEANS AND SEIZED HONG KONG ISLAND AND LATER KOWLOON WITH GUNSHIPS. THE NEW TERRITORIES'' TOO WERE 'LEASED'' UNDER DURESS TO BRITAIN FOR 99 YEARS. FOR OVER A CENTURY, THE CHINESE PEOPLE, IN THE FACT OF NATIONAL HUMILIATIONS, HAVE NEVER ACCEPTED THE THREE UNEQUAL TREATIES IMPOSED ON CHINA. IN EVERY WAY, THESE TREATIES ARE ILLEGAL AND INVALID.
HONG KONG DOES NOT FALL INTO THE CATEGORY OF COMMONLY-DEFINED COLONIES. THE QUESTION IS ONLY FOR CHINA TO RESUME THE EXERCISE OF ITS SOVEREIGNTY THERE. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO QUESTION OF
**INDEPENDCE''.
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