TNAG-1249-FCO40-1563-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 131

GR 600

RESTRICTED

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG 040935Z OCT 83

ADOƆ ĐÒL

MKKO 402

2246

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1467 OF 4 OCTOBER

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, INFO ROUTINE HK GOVT REPS WASHINGTON, CG NEW YORK, BRUSSELS

UKMIS GENEVA

PEKING.

RECEIVLO IN NAMMOTHY

1033

▪་

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.

1. ALL PAPERS TODAY GAVE PROMINENT COVERAGE TO AN NCNA DESPATCH OF 3 OCTOBER FROM PEKING CRITICISING REMARKS MADE BY THE PRIME MINISTER AND MR LUCE ON 23 AND 28 SEPTEMBER RESPECTIVELY. (PEKING TELNO 973 REFERS). THE HEADLINES IN THE LOCAL COMMUNIST PRESS, HOWEVER, EMPHASISED THAT '' 'SINCERE AND CO-OPERATIVE ATTITUDES WERE THE WAY TO ACHIEVING POSITIVE RESULTS AT AN EARLY DATE IN

THE SNO/BRITISH TALKS.

་

2. THE PAPERS ALSO COVERED AN NCNA DESPATCH OF THE PREVIOUS DAY HN WHICH MR LUCE WAS DESCRIBED AS ''POSING AS A REPRESENTATIVE'' OF HONG KONG PEOPLE AND MAKING THE THREAT THAT THERE WOULD BE TURBULENCE AND TURMOIL HN HONG KONG IF THE SHINO/BRITISH TALKS DD NOT REACH A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION.

-

3. WEN WEL PO (COMMUNIST) REPORTED THAT THE PEOPLE'S DAILY OF 3 OCTOBER CARRIED THE NCNA STORY UNDER THE HEADLINE ''WHAT S THE AIM OF LUCE'S STATEMENT? IT IS A THREAT TO CHINA THAT DISTURBANCES WILL BE CREATED IN HONG KONG WITH THE BLAME PUT

ON US''.

4. MOST PAPERS (INCLUDING THE COMMUNIST PRESS) ALSO RAN AN AFP DESPATCH QUOTING WICE FOREIGN MINISTER QAN QUICHEN AS HAVING TOLD JAPANESE PRESSMEN THAT CHINA HOPED TO REACH AGREEMENT WHTH BRITAIN WITHIN ONE YEAR BECAUSE PROLONGED NEGOTIATIONS WOULD IMPAIR THE MAINTENANCE OF HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY.

5. IN AN EDITORIAL ON THE NCNA DESPATCHES, FINANCIAL DAILY (INDEPENDENT) DETECTED A SOFTENING OF CHINA'S STANCE. THES WAS MANIFESTED IN THE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S WISH TO FIND A SOLUTION THROUGH SINCERE AND SO-OPERATIVE ATTITUDES. MING PAO (INDEPENDENT), HOWEVER, SAND THAT T HAD ASKED THE LOCAL NCNA DIRECTLY WHETHER THERE HAD BEEN ANY SOFTENING OF CHINA'S POSITION. THE REPORTED REPLY FROM NCNA WAS THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S STAND ON CLAIMING SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG AND MAINTAINING HITS PROSPERITY IS WELL-KNOWN''. MING PAO SAD THAT DIRECTOR XU JATUN HAD STRESSED THE INDIVISIBILITY OF ADMINISTRATION AND SOVEREIGNTY. THMS WAS VERY CLEAR AND COULD NOT BE MISINTERPRETED.

RESTRICTED

16.

LOIST

tque Taki 7

CM24/10