TNAG-1249-FCO40-1563-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 129

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FM HONG KONG 050955Z OCT 83

TO HIMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1477 OF 5 OCTOBER

TAD

OPY

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKTANG" ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPS. WASHINGTON, CG NEW YORK BRUSSELS AND UKMIS GENEVA.

THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG : PRESS COVERAGE.

MKK040/2.

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

- 5 OCT 1983

RHC STRY

PA

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

1. THE COMMUNIST PRESS TODAY GAVE PROMINENT COVERAGE TO-AN DESPATCH OF 4 OCTOBER WHICH AGAIN ATTACKED THE PRIME MINISTER'S - REMARKS TO AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ON 23 SEPTEMBER. THE DESPATCH HOPED THAT THE PRIME MINISTER WOULD ABANDON THE LINGERING DREAM OF A COLONIALIST EMPIRE' AND COOPERATE WITH CHINA IN A SINCERE AND CONSTRUCTIVE MANNER. THE DESPATCH ALSO ATTACKED THE PRIME MINISTER'S CLAIM THAT BRUTAN DID NOT TAKE A PENNY PIECE OUT OF HONG KONG. BRITAIN'S REVENUE FROM HONG KONG EXCEEDED NTS PRESENT WISIBLE TRADE DEFLOT AND THE HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI: BANK REPORT LAST JUNE ADMITTED THAT MAJOR AND PROFITABLE BRITISH HNVESTMENT WAS VISIBLE HN ALMOST EVERY SECTOR.

Action Taken

in CM24/10

2. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE STANDARD AND SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST BOTH QUOTED A CHINA SOURCE WHO ATTACKED EXCO AND LEGCO MEMBERS. TRADITIONALLY THEY HAD SPOKEN ONLY FOR CORPORATE INTERESTS. ONLY RECENTLY HAD THEY BEGUN TO SAY THAT THEY REPRESENTED ORDINARY PEOPLE. BENJING ON THE OTHER HAND UNDERSTOOD THE WORRIES OF HONG KONG PEOPLE AND HAD THEREFORE PLANNED TO ENACT LAWS TO GUARANTEE HONG KONG'S AUTONOMY. HONG KONG WOULD LOSE ITS ''COLONIAL COLOURS'' IN 1997 BUT EVERYTHING ELSE WOULD REMAIN THE SAME. BENJING HAD ALREADY DECIDED THAT SOME CHINESE CITIES COULD BE WEALTHIER THAN OTHERS, SO WHY SHOULD HONG KONG NOT CONTINUE TO BE THE MOST PROSPEROUS OF THEM ALL?

3. THE RIGHT WING HONG KONG TIMES QUOTED CHINA SOURCES AS SAYING THAT MR XU JHATUN HAD BEEN REPRIMANDED DURING HIS RECENT VISHT TO PEKING FOR MAKING IRRESPONSIBLE REMARKS AND TAKING TOO MUCH OF THE LIMELIGHT. MR CHEN BOJAN HAD THEREFORE BEEN APPOINTED TO THE HONG KONG BRANCH OF THE NCNA TO BALANCE MR XU'S POWER.

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