TNAG-1249-FCO40-1563-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 122

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4. THROUGH MEDIA UNDER THEIR CONTROL, THE BRITISH SIDE ADVO-

CATED THE EXCHANGE OF SOVEREIGNTY FOR ADMINISTRATION. THE

BRITISH WERE USING THE MASS MEDIA TO PUT PRESSURE ON CHINA. THE

CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE COULD NOT ACCEPT THAT TYPE OF

ARGUMENT IN THE BRITISH PRESS, AND HAD TO REFUTE MT.

MR LUCE ACCUSED THE CHINESE SIDE OF CONDUCTING ''MEGAPHONE DIP-

LOMACY''. BUT WOULD HE NOT ADMIT THAT THE MISTAKEN ARGUMENT

IN THE BRITISH PRESS WAS THE BRITISH POSITION IN THE TALKS? MR

LUCE'S ATTITUDE WAS NOT A RESPONSIBLE ONE. HE SHOULD ALSO REMEMBER

THAT THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, WHO WAS TAKING PART IN THE TALKS

AS A MEMBER OF THE BRITISH DELEGATION AND WAS THEREFORE ANSWER-

ABLE TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, REGULARLY BRIEFED MEMBERS OF

HONG KONG'S EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ON THE PROGRESS OF THE TALKS.

WHO IN FACT WAS BREACHING CONFIDENTIALITY AND PUBLICISING THE

CONTENT OF THE TALKS?

5. MR LUCE HAD SAID THAT IT WAS UNHELPFUL TO SET A TIME

LIMIT FOR THE TALKS. TO SAY THIS COULD NOT BUT BRING IN THE

QUESTION OF THE VERY NATURE OF THE TALKS. THE FACT WAS THAT CHINA

HAD A RIGHT TO RECOVER SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMINISTRATION OVER TS

SACRED TERRITORY AT ANY TIME. IN VIEW PRINCIPALLY OF THE FRIENDLY

RELATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA, CHINA WAS WILLING TO SOLVE

THE HONG KONG QUESTION THROUGH NEGOTIATION. BUT THIS DID NOT MEAN

THERE WAS ANY ROOM FOR BARGAINING OVER THE MATTER OF SOVEREIGNTY.

OF THE BRITISH VIEWED CHINA'S SINCERE AND COOPERATIVE ATTITUDE

TOWARDS SOLVING THE HONG KONG QUESTION IN AN APPROPRIATE MANNER

AS A SIGN OF WEAKNESS THAT COULD BE EXPLOITED, AND SO OBST-

NATELY HELD TO THEIR MISTAKEN POSITION, THEN

NATURALLY CHINA COULD NOT WAIT FOR A LONG TIME, FAR LESS INDEF-

INITELY. SHE WOULD HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO ANNOUNCE CLEARLY

HER OWN POLICIES TOWARDS HONG KONG AT A SUITABLE MOMENT.

6. IN ISSUING VARIOUS THREATS ABOUT THE EVENTUALMITY OF A FAILURE

IN THE TALKS, MR LUCE HAD CLEARLY UNDERESTIMATED THE DETERMIN-

ATION OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE TO RECOVER SOVEREIGNTY

AND ADMINISTRATION OVER HONG KONG. HE HAD ALSO EXPOSED THE BRITISH

INTENTION TO CONTINUE OCCUPYING THE TERRITORY. MR LUCE SHOULD

UNDERSTAND THE THREATS OF ANY KIND WOULD NOT HAVE THE LEAST

EFFECT. IF THE TALKS WERE SADLY TO BREAK DOWN BECAUSE OF

BRITAIN MAINTAINING ITS COLONIALIST STAND, THEN RESPONSIBILITY

FOR ALL THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD REST WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.

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