TNAG-1249-FCO40-1563-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 159

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4. IN COMMENTING ON THE STATEMENT ISSUED AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE TALKS, SOME PAPERS DETECTED CRUMBS OF COMFORT. THE

ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCMP SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN DEF INITE SIGNS OF PROGRESS AND QUOTED SOURCES WHO DISMISSED SUGGESTIONS OF INSOLUBLE OBSTACLES. SING TAO JIK PAD SUGGESTED THAT THE PESSIMISTIC ATMOSPHERE WAS QUITE NORMAL AT THIS STAGE OF INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS AND WAS COMFORTED THAT A DATE HAD BEEN SET FOR THE NEXT MEETING. HOWEVER THE PRO LEFT TIN TIN DAILY NEWS SUGGESTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO PROGRESS IN THE TALKS BECAUSE THE TWO SIDES WERE REFUSING TO BUDGE WHILE BLAMING EACH OTHER FOR THE DECLINE OF THE 'DOLLAR.

5. ALL PAPERS REPORTED A SPEECH BY SIR S.Y. CHUNG TO THE COMMONWEALTH LAW CONFERENCE IN WHICH HE CALLED FOR SOME KIND OF ASSURANCE OR GUARANTEE THAT A CAPITALIST SYSTEM CAN SURVIVE WITHIN A COMMUNIST SYSTEM''. SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER HIS ADDRESS SIR S.Y. ATTACKED THE CHINESE FOR NOT KEEPING TO THEIR AGREEMENT TO MAINTAIN THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE TALKS. SOME PAPERS ALSO QUOTED A SPEECH BY THE FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL, MR JOHN GRIFFITHS WHO STRESSED THE NEED FOR A BUFFER BETWEEN CAPITALIST HONG KONG AND COMMUNIST CHINA.

6. THE ERSTWHILE INDEPENDENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE STANDARD CARRIED AN EDITORIAL SUGGESTING THAT IN THE TRUE TRADITIONS OF LIONHEARTEDNESS, THE BRITISH WERE DETERMINED TO GO DOWN WITH THE FLAG FLYING NO MATTER THE PAIN TO HONG KONG, THE PAPER WARNED THAT CHINA MAY BE FORCED TO THE KIND OF ACTION WHICH MORAL PRUDENCE WOULD ADVISE AGAINST. THIS WOULD LEAD TO CHAOS HIN HONG KONG AND IRREPERABLE DAMAGE TO SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS. COMMENT ELSEWHERE IN THE SAME EDITION REFLECTED THE INCREASINGLY PRO PEKING SENTIMENT OF THE PAPER.

YOUDE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

COPIES TO

MIMIURED

HD/HKD

SIR IAN SINCLAIR LEGAL ADVISER

MR BURROWS

ED/FED

MR ROBERTS

LEGAL ADVISER

NEWS D

ED/PLANNING STAFF

HD/PUSD

PS

PS/LADY YOUNG

PS/MR LUCE

PS/PUS

SIR J BULLARD

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD MR WRIGHT

STR A PARSONS

MR WALKER

ASSESSMENTS STAFF

CABINET OFFICE

PUSD

NO 10 DOWNING STREET

NO 10 DOWNING STREET RESEARCH D OAB 2/82

MR MARTIN

MR FLOWER

MR COLES

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