TNAG-1249-FCO40-1563-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 164

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TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELEGRAM NUMBER 542 OF 22 SEPTEMBER

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AND TO IMMEDIATE FCO

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE-LONDON-

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INFO ROUTINE HK GOVT REPS WASHINGTON, CG NEW YORK, UKMIS GENEVA, BRUSSELS

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.

1. THE MAJOR COMMUNIST PAPERS TODAY CARRIED ALMOST IDENTICAL EDITORIALS URGING THE HONG KONG AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS TO STOP PLAYING THE 'PUBLIC OPINION AND ECONOMY CARDS'' AND ADOPT A MORE REASONABLE ATTITUDE. NEWTHER CARD COULD HALT THE INEVITABLE DISINTEGRATION OF COLONIALISM. FOREIGN MINISTER WU XUEG:MAN'S APPEAL (ON THE EVE OF HIS DEPARTURE FOR NEW YORK) FOR BRITAIN TO ADOPT A LESS RIGID ATTITUDE'' WAS ALSO GIVEN WIDE COVERAGE. CASS ADVISER HUAN XIANG, WHO IS VISITING HONG KONG, HAS REPORTEDLY IDENTIFIED TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT IN BRITAIN. ONE, LED BY FORMER PM MR HEATH ADVOCATED THAT WHITEHALL RETURN SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMINISTRATIVE RIGHT TO PEKING. THE OTHER SCHOOL HINSISTED THAT BRITAIN CONTINUE TO GOVERN HONG KONG EVEN AFTER 1997. CHINA'S PLAN WAS TO COOPERATE WITH THE BRITISH DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PHASE FROM NOW UNTIL 1997, PROVIDED SOVEREIGNTY WAS RETURNED TO CHINA IN 1997. DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD, CHINA WOULD STRENGTHEN INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG, CONTINUE TO GIVE ECONOMIC SUPPORT TO LOCAL RESIDENTS AND REVIVE HONG KONG'S ECONOMY BY COOPERATING WITH FOREIGN INVESTORS, INCLUDING THOSE FROM BRITAIN. AFTER 1997, HONG KONG WOULD BE ADMINISTERED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS, FREE FROM ANY INTERFERENCE FROM PEKING, SAVID HUAN.

2. SNG TAO JIH PAO AND THE FINANCIAL DAILY (BOTH INDEPENDENT) SAID THAT XU JHATUN AND WANG GUANGYING'S PRESENCE IN PEKING WOULD HELP THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP UNDERSTAND THE REAL FEELINGS OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG.

3. THE GENERAL MOOD OF THE INDEPENDENT PRESS WAS ANXIETY OVER THE TWO SINDES' HARDENED STANDS. THE PRESS APPEALED FOR COOPERATIVE EFFORTS TO DEFUSE THE PRESENT CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE AND SALVAGE THE HONG KONG DOLLAR. NEVERTHELESS, MOST INDEPENDENT PAPERS CARRIED AN ACCOUNT OF YESTERDAY'S ARTICLE IN THE ''TIMES'' URGING BRITAIN TO TAKE A TOUGHER LINE. DEFEATAST ATTITUDES WERE MISPLACED, SHINCE BRITAIN HELD A NUMBER OF STRONG CARDS. THE REAL MOVERS OF HONG KONG'S ECONOMY NUMBERED ONLY SOME 20,000 PEOPLE. PROPOSALS ON THE FUTURE WHICH DID NOT MEET THEIR SUPPORT WOULD LEAD TO AN EXODUS OF FUNDS AND A COLLAPSE OF THE ECONOMY.

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