kiss Taken
See (96)
(306
GR 1000 RESTRICTED
DESKBY 0208002
RESTRICTED Tel to Pele THIC
FM HONG KONG 02064OZ NOV 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
reparas
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1652 OF 2 NOVEMBER
4/11
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, INFO ROUTINE HK GOVT REPS WASHINGTON, CG NEW YORK,
BRUSSELS
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.
MKK040/2
RECEIVED IN NECISTRY 2 NOV 1983
1
PEKING INDEX UKI GENEVA
1. PROMINENT AND WIDESPREAD COVERAGE WAS GIVEN IN ALL NEWSPAPERS
TO THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE CALLED FOR BY MR ROBERT ADLEY MP. ALL PAPERS, INCLUDING THE LEFT-WING PRESS, PAID SPECIAL ATTENTION TO
MR LUCE'S RESPONSE TO THE DEBATE, AND IN PARTICULAR TO HIS REMARKS
THAT:
A) THE TALKS HAD ENTERED A MORE DETAILED PHASE.
B) THEY WERE TAKING PLACE AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF FRIENDLY
RELATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA,
C) IT WOULD TAKE TIME TO REACH A SOLUTION AND BRITAIN WOULD NOT
BE RUSHED.
2. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST AND THE FINANCIAL
-DAILY (INDEPENDENT) PUBLISHED EDITORIALS ON THE DEBATE. THE SCMP
SAID THAT HT HAD BEEN A DAMP SQUIB. WITH LITTLE RHETORIC AND NOT
VERY MUCH ENLIGHTENMENT. THE EDITORIAL ATTACKED MR ADLEY FOR
SUGGESTING THAT THE HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY VOICE IN
THE MATTER AND SUGGESTED THAT HIS BEST COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE
TO LEAVE THE NEGOTIATIONS TO THOSE, LIKE THE PRIME MINISTER, WHO
HAD A BETTER #DEA OF THE SORT OF DEAL THE HONG KONG PEOPLE COULD
LIVE WITH. THE FINANCHAL DAHLY SAID THAT MR LUCE'S REMARKS WERE
AND ENCOURAGING INDICATION THAT BOTH SIDES WERE DEMONSTRATING
GREATER FLEXIBILITY.
3. TWO COMMUNIST, FIVE INDEPENDENT CHINESE LANGUAGE, AND ONE
PRO-KMT NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED EDITORIALS ON THE PRIME MINISTER'S
REMARKS ON THE BBC WORLD SERVICE PHONE-IN PROGRAMME. THE NEW
EVENING POST (COMMUNIST) SAID THAT MRS THATCHER'S CRITICISM
OF THE AMERICAN-LED INVASION OF GRENADA DEMONSTRATED THAT SHE
HAD UPHELD THE PRINCIPLE THAT SOVEREIGNTY COULD NOT BE INFRINGED.
HER REMARKS DESERVED APPLAUSE. THE CHING PO (MINOR COMMUNIST) SAID
THAT HER REMARKS ON GRENADA INDICATED THAT CHINA AND BRITAIN
SPOKE THE SAME LANGUAGE ON THIS SUBJECT BECAUSE THEY BOTH BELIEVED
THAT INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO MAKE THEIR OWN
DECISION ABOUT POLITICAL SYSTEMS AND LIFESTYLES. WITH GREATER EFFORT TO FIND MORE SUCH COMMON LANGUAGE, THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN COULD BE RECOGNISED.
4. THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL (INDEPENDENT) SAID THAT THE PRIME
MINISTER'S FAILURE TO MENTION THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA AS A
FACTOR IN HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY HAD CAUSED SOME
DISSATISFACTION IN CERTAIN SECTORS'' BUT NO CRITICISM HAD
BEEN DIRECTED AT THE PRIME MINISTER BECAUSE THE CHINESE FELT
THE NEED TO CREATE A FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE. THE PRIME MINISTER WAS -IN ANY CASE CORRECT TO IGNORE THE CHINESE CONTRIBUTION, BECAUSE
THE SUPPLY OF FOODSTUFFS AND DAILY NECESSITIES TO HONG KONG WERE
A MATTER OF MUTUAL BENEFIT. THE MING PAO (INDEPENDENT) FOCUSED
RESTRICTED
PA
0
79Page 76
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.