TNAG-1250-FCO40-1564-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 18

GPS 250

RESTRICTED

DESK BY 2009OOZ

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG 20065OZ DEC 83

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1984 OF 20 DECEMBER 1983

TOP COF

макодова

OUSELCO IN Mvib. R

30DLL 1983

AFB 5/1 CHIBL

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPS. WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, BRUSSELS AND GENEVA

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE

1. A VERY QUIET DAY. THE ONLY FUTURE RELATED STORY GIVEN ANY

PROMINENCE WAS A COMMENTARY BY A HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL

(INDEPENDENT) COLUMNIST ON DISCUSSION OF CHINA'S PROPOSALS FOR A QUOTE MINI-CONSTITUTION UNQUOTE FOR HONG KONG. THE

COLUMNIST NOTED THAT THE PURPOSE OF A CONSTITUTION WAS TO

DEFINE THE RESPECTIVE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF A GOVERNMENT

AND THE PEOPLE IT GOVERNED. HONG KONG HAD INHERITED THE TRAD-

ITIONAL BRITISH CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND LAWS UNDER

WHICH THE RIGHTS OF ITS PEOPLE WERE PROPERLY PROTECTED. THE

WEAKEST POINT IN THE EXISTING HONG KONG SYSTEM WAS THE LACK OF

AN ELECTED ELEMENT. HOWEVER, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT

ELECTED BY ITS PEOPLE AND IT WAS ABSURD FOR CHINA TO DRAFT A

MINI-CONSTITUTION FOR HONG KONG GIVEN THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S

RECORD. CHINA SHOULD NOT THEREFORE BE ALLOWED TO PLAY THE

LEADING ROLE IN DETERMINING HONG KONG'S FUTURE: HONG KONG

PEOPLE THEMSELVES MUST TAKE THE LEAD. THE COMMENTARY CONCLUDED

BY REPEATING THE CALLS WHICH THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL HAD MADE

IN EARLIER EDITORIALS (SEE MY TELNO 1824.) FOR THE

HONG KONG AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS TO PROVIDE FOR THE WHOLESALE

RESETTLEMENT OF HONG KONG PEOPLE ELSEWHERE IN THE EVENT OF A

FAILURE TO NEGOTIATE SATISFACTORY ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUTURE.

2. SEVERAL INDEPENDENT CHINESE-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS PICKED UP

AN ARTICLE BY FRANK CHING (A MEMBER OF THE HONG KONG OBSERVERS

DELEGATION TO PEKING AND FORMER PEKING CORRESPONDENT OF THE

ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL) IN THE ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL ON

13 DECEMBER. CHING'S ARTICLE SAID THAT THERE MUST BE SOME DOUBT

ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE RELATIONS. EVEN

RESTRICTED

/ IF CHINA

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