TNAG-1250-FCO40-1564-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 50

GIVEN A GREAT DEAL OF FREEDOM. MR. WALDEN'S

SPEECH WAS ATTACKED

IN AN EDITORIAL IN THE PRO-CHINA TIN TIN DAILY NEWS WHICH SAID THAT HIS REMARKS WERE NOT HELPFUL. THE EDITORIAL CALLED FOR HONG KONG TO STUDY PEKING'S SELF RULE PROPOSAL RATHER THAN EXAMINING HOW TO SPEED UP DEMOCRATISATION. (COMMENT: IT IS A LITTLE ODD THAT THE TIN TIN DAILY SHOULD ATTACK REMARKS GIVEN SUCH PROMINENT AND FAVOURABLE COVERAGE IN THE MAJOR COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERS. BUT THE TIN TIN DAILY HAS IN THE PAST BEEN USED TO PROPAGATE VEIWS MORE EXTREME THAN THE OFFICIAL CHINESE LINE, EG. ON ONE OCCASION THE TIN TIN DAILY SUGGESTED THAT CHINA HAD SHOWN EXCESSIVE FLEXIBILITY IN AGREEING TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE BRITISH AT ALL.)

4. A NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT CHINESE-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS, NOTABLY THE SING TAO EVENING NEWS AND MING PAO, AS WELL AS THE PRO-TAIWAN HONG KONG TIMES, PICKED UP AN ARTICLE IN THE ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL ON 30 NOVEMBER BY FRANK CHING (FORMER ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL PEKING CORRESPONDENT AND A LEADING MEMBER OF THE HONG KONG OBSERVERS). IN HIS ARTICLE, CHING SAID THAT CHINESE LEADERS HAD DEVOTED TOO MUCH EFFORT TO REASSURING FOREIGNERS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR INVESTMENTS IN HONG KONG. IT WAS LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS, BUSINESS EXECUTIVES AND MANGERS WHO NEEDED REASSURANCE. THEY HAD MUCH MORE TO LOSE AND HAD MUCH MORE INFLUENCE ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. IT WOULD BE DISASTROUS FOR HONG KONG IF THE HABIT OF GIVING SPECIAL PRIVILEGES TO FOREIGNERS, WHICH WAS THE RULE IN CHINA, WERE EXTENDED TO HONG KONG. IT HAD TAKEN THE BETTER PART OF A CENTURY TO RID HONG KONG OF BRITISH LAWS AND REGULATIONS WHICH DISCRIMINATED AGAINST LOCAL CHINESE. HONG KONG PEOPLE NOW FELT THEMSELVES THE EQUAL OF PEOPLE ANYWHERE AND IT WAS THEIR INVESTMENTS, PROPERTY AND ECONOMIC INTERESTS WHICH SHOULD BE GUARANTEED. A COLUMNIST IN THE ORIENTAL DAILY AND THE EDITORIAL IN THE SING TAO EVENING NEWS BOTH EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR CHING'S VIEWS.

YOUDE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

LIMITED

HD/HKO

HD/FED

COPIES TO: (VIA DISTR. ROOM)

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

PS/LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

PS/HOME SECRETARY

PS/CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

PS/LORD PRIVY SEAL

PS/SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND

HD/PLANNING STAFF

HD/PUSD

D/HD/PUSD(MR FLOWER)

RESEARCH DEPT(MR WALKER)

LEGAL ADVISER (SIR IAN SINCLAIR)

PS

PS/LADY YOUNG

PS/MR LUCE

PS/PUS

SIR J BULLARD

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD MR WRIGHT

INDUSTRY

COPIES TO:

(VIA ADR)

MR ROBERTS

NEWS DEPT

2

MA BURROWS LEGAL ADVISERS

MR COLES NO 10 DOWNING ST

SIR A PARSONS

爨

MR MARTIN ASSESSMENT STAFF

CABINET OFFICE MR GOODALL CABINET OFFICE MR BRENNAN ... PS/S OF S FOR DEFENCE

RESTRICTEDS/ATTORNEY GENERAL

11