TNAG-1249-FCO40-1563-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 34

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FM HONG KONG 170645Z NOV 53

TO IMMEDIATE FOO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1751 OF 17 NOVEMBER 1983

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UKK04012

BY GIVED IN NEGW TY

17 NOV 1983

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INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING AND ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, GENEVA AND BRUSSELS

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE

BSGISTRY [Anton Token

CH28/11

1. THE GOVERNOR'S RETURN FROM PEKING WAS WIDELY REPORTED IN ALL

SECTIONS OF THE PRESS, BUT FURTHER REPORTS OF NEW TERRITORIES

DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS' MEETING WITH JI PENGEN, HEAD OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU OFFICE, CONTINUED TO BE THE MAJOR FUTURE- RELATED STORY. THE WEN WE+ PO (COMMUNIST) PUBLISHED THE FULL

TEXT OF A MEMORANDUM WHICH THE DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS HAD

SUBMITTED TO JAN PENGFENG THE MEMORANDUM URGED CHINA TO PUBLISH

NTS DRAFT PROPOSALS FOR HONG KONG AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT

HONG KONG RESIDENTS COULD EXAMINE AND COMMENT ON THEM. DEMOCRACY > THE RULE OF LAW, CIVIL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS SHOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED

AFTER 1997. THERE SHOULD ALSO BE A COMMITTEE OF PROFESSIONAL

LAWYERS IN HONG KONG TO WORK OUT THE BASHC PRINCIPLES OF HONG KONG

LAWS AND TO ARRANGE FOR THE LAW TO BE WRITTEN IN THE CHINESE LAN-

GUAGE. A NUMBER OF CHINESE-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED FURTHER

REPORTS OF WHAT JN PENGFEM APPARENTLY TOLD THE DELEGATION. THE

POINTS WHICH RECEIVED MOST COVERAGE WERE:

A) QUOTE CONFIRMATION UNQUOTE FROM JH PENGFE THAT HE HAD INDSED

SPOKEN OF A GUARANTEE THAT HONG KONG'S LIFESTYLE WOULD CONTINUE

UNCHANGED FOR 50 YEARS AS REPORTED BY THE DELEGATION LEADER.

(SING PO AND HONG KONG DAILY NEWS).

B) A GUARANTEE THAT OVERSEAS CHINESE WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO MOVE

*N AND OUT OF HONG KONG FREELY. (EXPRESS)

2. IN AN EDITORIAL ON JN'S REMARKS, THE NEW EVENING POST (COMMUNIST) ON 16 NOVEMBER SAID THAT THE 50 YEAR PERIOD OF CONTINUITY PROMISED

BY CHINA WAS MUCH ONGER THAN THE 30 YEAR TRANSITION PER 100 REQUESTED

BY SOME PEOPLE (A REFERENCE TO PROPOSALS MADE BY MR. HILTON CHEONG-

LEEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE URBAN COUNCIL). 50 YEARS AGO, CHINA WAS STILL SUBJECT TO HUMILIATION BY FOREIGN POWERS AND WAS TORN BY CIVIL WAR,

AND HONG KONG WAS NO MORE THAN A FISHING WILLAGE AND A PORT WITH A

POPULATION OF 100,000. SIMILARLY, GREAT PROGRESS COULD BE MADE

DURING THE NEXT 50 YEARS. THE MINI-CONSTITUTION OF WHICH JI PENGECH

HAD SPOKEN RATIFIED BY THE NATIONAL PEOPLES' CONGRESS AND INCLUDED

IN CHINA'S CONSTITUTION, WAS A FORE THAN ADEQUATE GUARANTLE FOR

HONG KONG'S FUTURE. IT WOULD BE IMPRACTICAL AND INEFFECTIVE TO SEEK

ANY FORM OF GUARANTEE FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE THROUGH LINKS TO A

FOREIGN COUNTRY.

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