TNAG-1249-FCO40-1563-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 93

259-

CONFIDENTIAL

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

T W M Smith Esq

PEKING

HKK040 2

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

4 ¡ 1983

DESK OFFICEA

WECIARY

H4DEX

PA

Vetion Takeo

Telephone 01-

ار

A+B 20 CM31/19

Your reference

Our reference

HKK 040/2

Date

24 October 1983

Dear Tom.

FUTURE OF HONG KONG : COVERAGE IN THE CHINESE PRESS

1. Thank you for your letter of 10 October. We are grateful for this resume of what has been appearing in the Chinese press of late.

2.

We were more particularly interested in the Xinhua despatch of 30 September (your para 6), which we had not picked up before. We have now seen the full version. Hu Yaobang's remarks are of course in line with the basic Chinese assertion that they will protect foreign investment in Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region of China. The remarks can, I think, be seen as part of a wider public relations exercise: Wu Xueqian told Mr Shultz in 'Washington in October that the Hong Kong question was "primarily

a matter of trust" in whether China would keep to her "special policies" for Hong Kong. No doubt the Chinese will seek further to build up such trust by making reassuring noises to interested third parties whenever the occasion arises.

Yous

ever,

Warmich

سلعه

W Morris

Hong Kong Department

P I Webb Esq, Assistant Political Adviser, Hong Kong Mr Thomson, FID

CONFIDENTIAL