TNAG-1249-FCO40-1563-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 67

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DESKBY 04080OZ

FM HONG KONG 04064OZ NOV 83

TO IMMEDIATE FOO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1668 OF 4 NOVEMBER

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INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

INFO ROUTINE HK GOVT REPS WASHINGTON, CG NEW YORK, UKMIS GENEVA, BRUSSELS

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE

MOST PAPERS CARRIED ACCOUNTS OF A STORY IN TODAY'S EDITION OF ASIAWEEK WHICH ANALYZED THE PRIME MINISTER'S REASONS FOR BEING **CHEERFUL' ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. THE MAGAZINE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT BRITAIN WAS PREPARED TO MAKE IMPORTANT CONCESSIONS TO THE CHINESE OVER THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND THAT THIS ''BOTTOM LINE'' HAD BEEN COUND ACCEPTABLE TO UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF EXCO, INVESTORS, ENTREPENEURS AND PROFESSIONALS. AS HAWEEK ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE APPARENT PROGRESS MADE AT THE LAST ROUND OF TALKS WAS LARGELY THE RESULT OF BRITAIN'S ACCEDING TO CHINESE REQUESTS TO HALT THE SLIDE OF THE HONG KONG DOLLAR. WEN WEI: PO (COMMUNIST) PUBLISHED EXTRACTS OF ASIAWEEK'S STORY ON ITS FRONT PAGE UNDER THE NEUTRAL HEADLINE PROGRESS IN THE SNO-BRITISH TALKS WHILST OTHER LEFT-WING PAPERS CARRIED AGENCY REPORTS OF T.

2. SEVERAL INDEPENDENT PAPERS (BUT NONE OF THE COMMUNIST ONES) REPORTED YOUR COMMENTS IN PARLIAMENT YESTERDAY THAT THERE ARE GOOD REASONS TO FACE THE FUTURE WITH CONFIDENCE AND THAT ALTHOUGH THERE IS STALL MUCH DIFFICULT GROUND TO BE COVERED, BOTH SIDES SHARE AN AGREED COMMON PURPOSE IN THEIR APPROACH TO THE TALKS.

3. AN EDITORIAL IN THE TIN TIN DAILY NEWS (PRO-CHINA) SAID THAT IT WAS EVIDENT BRITAIN HAD BECOME LESS PERSISTENT' AND

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'MORE MODEST IN ITS SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION TO THE HONG KONG QUESTION. THE EDITORIAL ARGUED THAT WHAT BRITAIN REALLY WANTED WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO WITHDRAW FROM HONG KONG. PROVIDED BRITAIN ACTED SENSIBLY, THE PAPER BELIEVED PEKING WOULD GRANT BRITAIN SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.

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