TNAG-1249-FCO40-1563-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 15

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5. A NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT PAPERS, AS WELL AS THE PRO-KMT HONG

KONG TIMES, REPORTED THAT THE CIVIL SERVANTS GENERAL UNION

HAD MET CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH TO ASK THAT THE FUTURE OF THE

CIVIL SERVICE BE INCLUDED ON THE AGENDA FOR THE TALKS. THE REPORTS

SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD UNDERTAKEN TO REFLECT THEIR VIEWS

TO NEGOTIATORS WHO WOULD RAISE THE ISSUE AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME.

6. MOST INDEPENDENT PAPERS, BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE LANGUAGE, REPORTED THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE GOVERNOR WOULD VISIT THE UNITED STATES NEXT YEAR, AND NOTED THAT THE VISIT WILL COINCIDE WITH THAT OF PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SOUTH

CHINA MORNING POST, MOST PAPERS ACCEPTED AT FACE VALUE THE

GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN'S ASSERTION THAT THIS WAS A COINCIDENCE.

THE SCMP QUOTED UNNAMED ''POLITICAL OBSERVERS AS SUGGESTING THAT

THE GOVERNOR MIGHT ''CHANGE HIS PLANS IF THE TALKS PROVED

DIFFICULT.

7. THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL (INDEPENDENT) PUBLISHED THE FOLLOW-UP

TO HTS EDITORIAL ON 24 NOVEMBER (SEE MY TELNO 1314): THE SECOND

PART WAS AS FAR FETCHED AS THE FIRST. IT SUGGESTED THAT, IN THE EVENT OF THE UNILATERAL CHINESE ANNOUNCEMENT BRITAIN, POSSIBLY WITH THE HELP OF COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES, MIGHT FIND WAYS OF

RESETTLING ANYONE IN HONG KONG WHO DID NOT WITH TO LIVE UNDER A

''BIG BROTHER'' REGIME. THIS MIGHT INVOLVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A

SMALL ISLAND IN THE IRISH SEA, NORTH SEA OR THE ENGLISH CHANNEL

FOR THE PURPOSE OF RESETTLEMENT (EXCLAM).

YOUDE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

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