TNAG-1249-FCO40-1563-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 96

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DESKBY 210SOOZ

FM HONG KONG 21045OZ OCT 93

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1564 OF 21 OCTOBER 1983

EC..

HKKC040/2

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INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

AND ROUTINE HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, NEW YORK,

BRUSSELS AND UKMIS GENEVA

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE

1. THE AGREED PRESS COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE CONCLUSION OF

THE TALKS (PEKING TELNO 1054) WAS FRONT-PAGE NEWS IN ALL

SECTIONS OF THE PRESS.

2. ALTHOUGH THE COMMUNIST PRESS PLAYED UP THE ADJECTIVES

QUOTE USEFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE UNQUOTE, THERE WAS LITTLE

FURTHER COMMENT.

3. THE INDEPENDENT PRESS ALSO WIEWED THE INCLUSION OF

SUCH ADJECTIVES AS A SIGN OF QUOTE HEALTHY PROGRESS

UNQUOTE, WITH SOME PAPERS DETECTING A SUBTLE SHIFT UN

THE NEGOTIATING POSTIONS. THIS GAVE RISE TO RENEWED

SPECULATION ON THE EXISTENCE OF A QUOTE PERSONAL INIT-

HATIVE UNQUOTE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER 4N THE FORM OF A

LETTER TO THE CHINESE SIDE. HOWEVER, NONE OF THE PAPERS

CONSIDERED THAT ANY MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH HAD YET BEEN MADE.

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4. THE HINDEPENDENT PRESS REACTED FAVOURABLY TO COMMENTS

MADE BY YAO GUANG AND LI JUSHENG. THE FORMER'S REQUEST

THAT JOURNALISTS ASK THEMSELVES WHY THE TERMS QUOTE

USEFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE UNQUOTE HAD BEEN USED TOGETHER

WITH LIN'S CONFIRMATION THAT THE ISSUE OF SOVEREIGNTY HAD

AGAIN BEEN DISCUSSED AND THAT QUOTE AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION

WOULD EVENTUALLY BE FOUND UNQUOTE WERE HINTERPRETED AS SIGNS

OF SOME PROGRESS.

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