TNAG-1249-FCO40-1563-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 86

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TELEGRAM NUMBER 1605 OF 26 OCTOBER.

INFO HIMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING

ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, NEW YORK,

BRUSSELS AND GENEVA.

FUTURE OF HONG KONG : PRESS COVERAGE.

1. A SPEECH TO A ROTARY CLUB LUNCH ON 25 OCTOBER BY T.S. LO, UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, WAS WIDELY AND PROMINENTLY REPORTED. THE POINTS IN THE SPEECH TO WHICH GREATEST

ATTENTION WAS PAID WERE:

(A) MR. LO'S REFERENCE TO THE FACT THAT HONG KONG'S EXISTING RIGHTS UNDER VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL TRADING AGREEMENTS WERE DEPENDENT ON THE LEGAL CONNECTION WITH BRITAIN AND WOULD THEREFORE VANISH OF THE CONNECTHON WAS SEVERED. WHILST NEW AGREEMENTS MIGHT

BE NEGOTIABLE, HONG KONG'S COMPETITORS WOULD SEEK TO EXPLOIT

THE SITUATION FOR THEIR ADVANTAGE.

(B) MR. LO'S EXPRESSION OF CONFIDENCE THAT AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE WOULD BE FOUND BECAUSE PT

WAS IN NO-ONE'S LONG TERM HNTERESTS FOR HONG KONG TO FAIL.

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THE TWO MAJOR COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERS, WEN WE PO AND TA KUNG PAO, ALSO REPORTED THE SPEECH ROUTINELY AND WITHOUT EDITORIAL COMMENT. THE TA KUNG PAC'S REPORT WAS ENTIRELY FACTUAL, BUT THE WEN WEH PO'S REPORT APPEARED UNDER THE HEADLINE ANOTHER UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF EXCO SPEAKS ON FAVOUR OF CONTINUING BRITISH ADMINISTRATION** THE PRO-CHINA THIN TIN DAILY NEWS, IN AN EDITORIAL ON MR. LO'S REMARKS, COMMENTED THAT HE HAD TOTALLY DISREGARDED CHINA'S STATUS AND INFLUENCE IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET AND SUGGESTED THAT THE FAVOURABLE TREATMENT WHICH HONG KONG AT PRESENT RECEIVED WAS IN LARGE MEASURE DUE TO HONG KONG'S OWN ECONOMIC POWER AND INFLUENCE.

2. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE RADIO NEWS BULLETINS HAVE CONTINUED TO PAY CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION TO

MR. ROBERT ADLEY MP'S ACTIVITIES OVER THE FORTHCOMING ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON HONG KONG. HAN TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS WITH MR. ADLEY, HE IS REPORTED AS REJECTING ALL SUGGESTIONS THAT THE DEBATE MIGHT BE INOPPORTUNE OR HARMFUL TO HONG KONG'S INTERESTS. (THE CHINESE LANGUAGE PRESS HAVE LARGELY IGNORED THIS STORY.)

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