TNAG-1250-FCO40-1564-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 12

GPS 250

RESTRICTED

RESTRICTED

DESK BY 23090OZ

FM HONG KONG 2308DOZ DEC 83

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 2024 OF 23 DECEMBER 1983 .

TOP COPY

HKK 040/2

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

29 DEL 1983

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Takut

lAFB % CHIBLI

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING AND ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPS. WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, BRUSSELS AND

GENEVA

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.

A COMMENTARY IN THE NEW EVENING POST (COMMUNIST) ON 22 DECEMBER

ADDRESSED ITSELF TO THE QUESTION OF CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES IN HONG KONG. IT SAID THAT BRITAIN HAD NO CONSTITUTION, YET CIVIL LIBERTIES WERE PROTECTED UNDER COMMON LAW. CHINA'S REPEATED ASSURANCES THAT HONG KONG'S LEGAL SYSTEM WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED AFTER 1997 MEANT THAT BRITISH COMMON LAW WOULD CONTINUE TO APPLY. IT WAS THEREFORE 'SUPERFLUOUS TO SPECIFY THE BASIC RIGHTS OF HONG KONG CITIZENS IN THE BASIC LAW, AS THE HONG KONG OBSERVERS HAD SUGGESTED. LEGAL EXPERTS WOULD HAVE TO CONSIDER WHETHER ANY CONTRADICTION WOULD ARISE IF CIVIL LIBERTIES WERE PROTECTED BOTH UNDER A CONSTITUTION AND THE

COMMON LAW.

2. THE NEW EVENING POST CARRIED ANOTHER COMMENTARY INSISTING THAT TAIWAN WOULD MAINTAIN ITS TIES WITH HONG KONG EVEN AFTER 1997. TAIWAN WOULD NOT WANT TO ISOLATE ITSELF POLITICALLY NOR LOSE ITS LOCAL TOURISM BUSINESS INTERESTS INTERESTS NOR THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GATHERING INFORMATION ABOUT CHINA.

3. A FINANCIAL SUPPLEMENT IN TODAY'S WEN WEI PO (COMMUNIST) DETECTED AN UPTURN IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY ALTHOUGH DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION AND INVESTMENT REMAINED WEAK. CHINA HAD NEVER- THELESS INCREASED ITS INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG AND EXTENDED

MORE LOANS TO LOCAL INDUSTRY.

RESTRICTED

14.

844).