TNAG-1250-FCO40-1564-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 39

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TELEGRAM NUMBER 1901 OF 8 DECEMBER 1983

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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.

WHILST TODAY'S PRESS CARRIED VERY LITTLE ON THE PRESENT ROUND OF TALKS THEMSELVES, ALL NEWSPAPERS FACTUALLY RELAYED IN FRONT OR

BACK PAGE LEADS REMARKS BY QI HUAIYUAN (HEAD OF THE INFORMATION

DEPARTMENT, AT THE CHINESE MFA) AT HIS WEEKLY PRESS BRIEFING IN

PEKING YESTERDAY.

2. ACCOUNTS OF QI'S REMARKS FOCUSSED ON THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

(A) THE PRINCIPLE OF REGAINING SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMINISTRATIVE

RIGHT IN HONG KONG WAS NOT NEGOTIABLE, CHINA INTENDED TO REACH AGREEMENT WITH BRITAIN ON THE PRESERVATION OF THE TERRITORY'S

PROSPERITY AND STABILITY WHILST MAINTAINING HONG KONG'S PRESENT

LIFE-STYLE:

(B) REITERATION OF CHINA'S INTENTION TO RECOVER SOVEREIGNTY BY 1997 UNLESS QUOTE THERE OCCURRED SOME TURMOIL, A MAJOR BREAKDOWN OF SOCIAL ORDER UNQUOTE FORCING CHINA TO REVIEW ITS TIMETABLE:

(C) CHINA WOULD MAKE A UNILATERAL ANNOUNCEMENT ON HONG KONG

IN SEPTEMBER 1984:

(D) MAINTAINING THAT THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS PREVAILED, QI REFUSED TO CONFIRM WHETHER DRAFTING HAD

BEGUN ON THE QUOTE MINI-CONSTITUTION UNQUOTE.

3. MOST INDEPENDENT PAPERS (BUT NONE OF THE COMMUNIST ONES), THE TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS, COVERED A BBC STORY THAT THE OUTLINES OF A SETTLEMENT ON HONG KONG WERE EMERGING FROM THE

SINO-BRITISH TALKS. THESE AMOUNTED TO A BRITISH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

OF CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY IN RETURN FOR SPECIAL STATUS FOR BRITISH

ADMINISTRATORS IN A TERRITORY THAT WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR AT

LEAST 50 YEARS.

4. NONE OF THE COMMUNIST PAPERS CARRIED FUTURE-RELATED EDITORIALS OR COMMENTARIES, EXCEPT FOR PASSING COMMENT ABOUT THE GENERALLY

RELAXED ATMOSPHERE OF THE PRESENT ROUND OF TALKS.

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