GRS 450
RESTRICTED
DESKBY FCO 1410OOZ
(98)
RESTRICTED
TOP COPY
FM HONG KONG 14080OZ NOV 83
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1731 OF 14 NOVEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
MK Kasela
MBRUSSEL M17/11
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, BRUSSELS
AND GENEVA.
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.
ALL SECTIONS OF THE PRESS TODAY GAVE PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THE
RESUMPTION OF THE TALKS IN PEKING. COVERAGE IN BOTH THE COMMUNIST AND THE INDEPENDENT PRESS DREW ON RECENT REMARKS ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A UNILATERAL CHINESE STATEMENT IN SEPTEMBER 1984.
2. THE CONSENSUS AMONGST THE INDEPENDENT PRESS WAS THAT A MORE RELAXED ATMOSPHERE PREVAILED ON THE EVE OF THE 6TH ROUND OF TALKS. SIR P. CRADOCK WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT HE LOOKED FORWARD TO ANOTHER ROUND OF USEFUL MEETINGS AND THE PRESS REACTED OPTIMISTICALLY TO THE LATEST COMMENTS BY CHINESE OFFICIALS ON THE **SEPTEMBER 1984
DEADLINE.''
THE LATTER WAR REFERRED TO BY THE GUANGDONG CPPCC CHARMAN (AND A FORMER DIRECTOR OF NCNA MIN HONG KONG) L'HANG WEILAN AND CENTRAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEMBER (AND FORMER GOVERNOR OF GUANGDONG ) LMU THANFU AT THE OPENING OF THE SUN YAT-SEN MEMORIAL HALL IN SHIQH, GUANGDONG ON SATURDAY. BOTH LANG AND LIU WERE QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE TALKS HAD MADE PROGRESS AND THAT AGREEMENT SHOULD EVENTUALLY BE REACHED. LINANG RETERATED THAT A UNILATERAL STATEMENT BY CHINA *N SEPTEMBER 1984 WOULD BE NECESSARY F NO AGREEMENT HAD BEEN REACHED BY THEN, BUT THAT THE SINO-BRITISH DISCUSSIONS COULD NEVERTHELESS CONTINUE BEYOND THAT DATE. THE EXPRESS (MINDEPENDENT) SOUNDED A LESS OPTIMISTIC NOTE SAYING THAT HIT WAS ''RASH AND STUBBORN FOR ETHER SH-DE TO SET A DEADLINE, WHAT WAS NEEDED WERE USEFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE
SUGGESTIONS.
#
3. THE FRONT PAGE LEAD ON WEN WE! PO (COMMUNIST) ON SUNDAY AND AN EDITORIAL HIN TA KUNG PAO (COMMUNIST) TODAY BOTH REPEATED THAT CHINA WOULD ANNOUNCE HTS BASIC FORMULA FOR HONG KONG NOT LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 1984. WEN WEH: PO QUOTED LOCAL NONA DEPUTY DIRECTOR QFENG'S ASSERTION THAT CHINA WOULD ADHERE TO NITS PRINCIPLES IN SUCH A FORMULA BUT WOULD ALSO CONDUCT EXTENSIVE CONSULTATIONS ON HOW TO PRESERVE HONG KONG PROSPERITY AND STABILITY. HIN HITS REITERATION OF THE NEED FOR A SEPTEMBER DEADLINE, TA KUNG PAO SAID THAT CHINA WAS FIRM IN HITS STANCE BUT REASONABLE IN ITS ATTITUDE. HT ARGUED THAT THE TALKS WOULD PRODUCE POSITIVE RESULTS IF BRITAIN FOLLOWED THE TREND OF HISTORY" BY ADOPTING A ''PRACTICAL AND CO-OPERATIVE ATTITUDE.''
1 #
RESTRICTED
/4. WEN
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.