TNAG-1249-FCO40-1563-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 64

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- 7 NOV 1983

FM HONG KONG 07070OZ NOV 83

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1687 OF 7 NOVEMBER 1983

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INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING AND ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,

AND ROUTHINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, NEW YORK

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BRUSSELS AND GENEVA

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE

APART FROM FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THE STUDENT'S UNIONS' LETTER

215) TO THE PRIME MINISTER (MY TELNO 1612), THE MAJOR FUTURE RELATED

STORIES THIS WEEKEND HAVE BEEN HINSPIRED BY THE ENGLISH RATHER THAN CPMNESE LANGUAGE PRESS.

2. BOTH THE INDEPENDENT AND COMMUNIST PRESS CARRIED AGENCY REPORTS OF A SUNDAY TIMES ARTICLE ALLEGING THAT A BREAKTHROUGH IN THE SJNO-BRITISH TALKS HAD BEEN ACHIEVED THROUGH THE PRIME MINISTER'S AGREEING TO QUOTE SET ASIDE UNQUOTE OR QUOTE GIVE UP UNQUOTE THE SOVEREIGNTY ISSUE. ALL PAPERS CARRIED THE FCO'S STATEMENT THAT THE CONTENT OF THE TALKS WERE CONFIDENTIAL. COVERAGE IN THE COMMUNIST PRESS WAS FACTUAL AND WHTHOUT COMMENT.

3. SEVERAL MNDEPENDENT PAPERS (BUT NONE OF THE COMMUNIST ONES) REPORTED THE ANSERS GIVEN BY A CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN (UNNAMED) TO A QUESTION PUT BY THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE HK STANDARD ON THE TELEPHONE. THE QUESTIONS WERE INTENDED TO SEEK CLARIFICATION OF THE REPORTS OF VICE FOREIGN MINISTER QUAN QICHEN'S ABOUT THE QUOTE DEADLINE UNQUOTE (MY TELNO 1652). ACCORDING TO THE STANDARD, THE SPOKESMAN REITERATED THAT CHINA WOULD MAKE A UNILATERAL STATE- MENT ON HONG KONG NEXT SEPTEMBER IF THE SING-BRITISH TALKS HAD FAILED TO PRODUCE AN AGREEMENT BY THEN. THE SPOKESMAN ADDED QUOTE WHETHER NEGOTIATIONS WILL CONTINUE AFTER 1984 IS ANOTHER MATTER. UNQUOTE

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