TNAG-1249-FCO40-1563-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 206

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TELEGRAM NUMBER 1293 OF 2 SEPTEMBER HINFO PRIORITY PEKING

HINFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON (FOR HK GOVT REP), GOVT REP), UKMKS GENEVA (FOR HK GOVT REP), REP), HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.

HKK 040 12

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY-

2 SEP 1983

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INDEX

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

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CG NEW YORK (FOR HK BRUSSELS (FOR HK GOVT

1. THE PRO-CHINA THAN THN DAILY NEWS ON 2 SEPTEMBER CARRMED AN ARTICLE FROM ITS PEKING CORRESPONDENT QUOTHING **AUTHORATNITHIVE PERSONS'' HN PEKING AS DENYING THAT THERE WAS ANY INTENTMON OF STATHONING PLA TROOPS MIN HONG KONG (MY TELNO 1286). THE SOURCES WERE QUOTED AS REPEATING STANDARD CHINESE ASSURANCES THAT NO-ONE WOULD BE SENT DOWN FROM PEKING.

2. THE MAJOR COMMUNIST DAHLHES HAVE BEEN RELATHWELY QUIET JIN THE LAST DAY OR TWO. BUT THE NEW EVENING POST CONTINUES TO EDITORIALMISE ON THE FUTURE. ON 31 AUGUST, THE EDITORIAL QUOTED FROM THE PASSAGE IN THE CURRENT EDITION OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S ANNUAL REPORT DEALING WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL RELATIONS AND HITS POSITION UNDER GATT RULES AS A SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY. THESE ARRANGEMENTS PROVED THAT THE MANAGEMENT OF HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL RELATHONS WAS NOT DEPENDENT ON BRITAIN. THE EDITORIAL ALSO SAND THAT BRITAMIN HAD NEVER DEFENDED HONG KONG'S HINTERESTS MAN THIS AREA AND HAD EVEN TAKEN THE LEAD AN RESTRUCTING TEXTILE #MPORTS TO THE EEC FROM HONG KONG.

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3. ON 1 SEPTEMBER, THE NEW EVENING POST'S EDITORMAL DISCUSSED THE QUESTION OF FREEDOM. WHEN HONG KONG PEOPLE SPOKE OF FREEDOM HT WAS FREEDOM UNDER-A CAPITALIST SYSTEM. THIS WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE FREEDOMS ENJOYED BY MAINLAND CHINESE UNDER THE SOCHALHIST SYSTEM: UNDER THE SOCIALIST SYSTEM THERE WAS FREEDOM FROM EXPLOITATION, WHICH MEANT THAT THERE WAS NO NEED FOR THE RIGHT TO STRIKE. HONG KONG COULD ONLY ACHIEVE REAL FREEDOM WHEN BRITISH COLON HAL RULE WAS ENDED AND HONG KONG BECAME AN AUTONOMOUS REGION OF CHINA UNDER THE CHINESE CONSTITUTION. THE WORDING OF THE GOVERNOR'S COMMISSION, MIN WHICH THE QUEEN COMMENDED HER SUBJECTS HIN HONG KONG TO GIVE THEMR READY OBEDIENCE WAS A VHOLATION OF THE FREEDOM AND DIGNITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THE EDITORIAL CONCLUDED BY ATTACKING A SUGGESTION MADE BY A FORMER DIRECTOR OF HOME AFFAIRS, MR JOHN WALDEN, AT THE HONG KONG WEEK SEMINAR TO THE EFFECT THAT HONG KONG'S PEOPLES' FREEDOMS SHOULD BE WRITTEN HINTO A SHINO/BRITMSH AGREEMENT. THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THE FREEDOMS WOULD BE GUARANTEED BY THE BRITISH. THIS WOULD GREATLY OVER-RATE THE BRITISH.

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