GPS 500 RESTRICTED
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DESKBY 211200Z
FM HONG KONG 21064OZ NOV 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1773 OF 21 NOVEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
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RECEIVED IN NGUIDTPY
£ 1 NOV 1983
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, HK GOVT RERS
WASHINGTON, CG NEW YORK, BRUSSELS, UKMIS GENEVA
FUTURE OF HONG KONG : PRESS COVERAGE
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1. TWO LEADING COMMUNIST PAPERS HAVE COMMENTED EDITORIALLY ON
THE PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY TO MR DAVID STEEL MP (MY TELNO 1758).
THE NEW EVENING POST ON 18 NOVEMBER REASSERTED CHINA'S INTENTION
TO EXERCISE SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG IN 1997 AND
NOT JUST 95 PERCENT OF THE TERRITORY. THE EDITORIAL ACCUSED THE
PRIME MINISTER OF DISTORTING FACTS BY CLAIMING THAT THE MAJORITY
OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS WANTED TO PRESERVE THE STATUS QUO. HN
FACT, ALL COMPATRIOTS IN HONG KONG'' SUPPORTED CHINA'S CLAIM TO SOVEREIGNTY. THE EDITORIAL SAID THAT THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW
BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO CHINA SHOULD PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
QUESTION AGAIN THE VALIDITY OF UNEQUAL TREATIES AND CONSIDER
WHETHER THEY WERE LEGALLY ACCEPTABLE OR IN TUNE WITH FRIENDLY
SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS. WEN WE PO'S EDITORIAL OF 20 NOVEMBER
WAS ALONG SIMILAR LINES BUT INCLUDED A REFERENCE TO MR RICHARD
LUCE'S REMARK THAT THE HMPOSITHON OF A SEPTEMBER 1984 DEADLINE
FOR THE TALKS WAS NOT HELPFUL. THE EDITORAL CLAIMED THAT
THIS SUGGESTED BRITAIN WANTED THE TALKS TO DRAG ON. HOWEVER,
THE PAPER SAID THAT PUBLIC OPINION WOULD NOT TOLERATE DELAYING
TACTICS AND URGED BRITAIN TO ACT MORE SWIFTLY.
2. BOTH THE COMMUNIST AND INDEPENDENT PRESS GAVE FAIRLY PROMINENT
COVERAGE TO A SPEECH MADE BY WANG GUANGYING (CHAIRMAN OF
EVERBRIGHT) AT A DINNER GIVEN BY THE HONG KONG MANAGEMENT
ASSOCIATION ON 16 NOVEMBER. WANG ARGUED THAT THERE WAS CLEAR
EVIDENCE OF AN INFLOW OF FOREIGN CAPITAL TO HONG KONG. INDEPENDENT
PAPERS (BUT NONE OF THE COMMUNIST ONES) ALSO CARRIED REMARKS
HE MADE TO THE PRESS AFTER DINNER. THESE WERE THAT IN A RECENT
LETTER TO THE CHINESE SIDE MRS THATCHER HAD INDICATED A SOFTENED
STANCE. BRITAIN WOULD RELINQUISH CLAIMS TO SOVEREIGNTY IN HONG
KONG HIN EXCHANGE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF ITS LOCAL INTERESTS.
BOTH SIDES WERE NOW DISCUSSING THE DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE
PRESERVATION OF HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY AFTER 1997
AND WANG WAS CONFIDENT THAT BRITAIN AND CHINA WOULD REACH A
SETTLEMENT BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1984.
3. ON 19 NOVEMBER, MOST COMMUNIST AND SOME INDEPENDENT PAPERS
RAN AN NCNA SUMMARY OF AN INTERVIEW GIVEN BY CHINESE ECONOMIST
XU DIXIN TO THE PEKING JOURNAL **LHAOWANG''. XU REFERRED TO HIS
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