TNAG-1250-FCO40-1564-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 8

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FM HONG KONG 29053OZ DEC 83

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 2029 OF 29 DECEMBER

846)

TOP COPY

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

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.

PRACTICALLY ALL PAPERS REPORTED WITH SOME PROMINENCE REMARKS MADE BY NCNA DIRECTOR XU JIATUN AT YESTERDAYS INAUGURATION OF COMMERCIAL HELICOPTER SERVICES BETWEEN ZHUHAI AND GUANGZHOU. ZU SAID THAT NEXT SEPTEMBER'S STATEMENT BY CHINA WOULD BE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE PRINCIPLES OF ITS POLICY TOWARDS HONG KONG AND NOT (NOT) A PUBLICATION OF THE TERRITORY'S MINI- CONSTITITION. HE SAID THAT THE LATTER WAS PRESENTLY BEING DRAFTED BUT IT WOULD QUOTE TAKE SOME TIME UNQUOTE BEFORE SUCH A LEGAL DOCUMENT COULD BE AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. IN THE MEANTIME, XU WOULD CONTINUE TO SEEK

VIEWS FROM VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISATONS IN HONG KONG. HKK 040/2

G

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

CHINA) SAID 29 DEC 1983

PA

2. A COMMENTATOR IN TIN TIN DAILY NEWS (PRO PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE SINCE BRITAIN SEEMED TO RECOGNISE DESK OFFICER THAT SOVEREIGNTY WAS NOT NEGOTIABLE WHILST CHINA HAD REC OGNISED THAT A DELAY IN REACHING A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION TO THE TALKS WOULD HARM HONG KONG'S ECONOMY.

INDEX

3. OUTING QUOTE AUTHORITATIVE DIPLOMATIC SOURCES IN LONDON UNQUOTE THE FINANCIAL DAILY (INDEPENDENT) REPORTED IN ITS FRONT PAGE LEAD THAT BRITAIN WAS POISED TO MAKE FURTHER CON- CESSSIONS IN ORDER TO SECURE A JOINT STATEMENT ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE BEFORE NEXT SEPTEMBER. THE SOURCES SAID THAT THE FREQUENCY OF TALKS AND OF INFORMAL CONTACTS WOULD INCREASE AFTER THE EIGHTH ROUND.

MEGISTRY

Action Taken

AFB 51%, OM13/1

YOUDE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF

HD/PUSD

D/HD/PUSD (MR FLOWER)

RES.D. (MR WALKER)

LEGAL ADVISER (SIR IAN SINCLAIR

PS

PS/LADY YOUNG

PS/R LUCE

PS/PUS

SIR J BULLARD

MR GIFFARD

MR DONALD

MR WRIGHT

SIR C TICKELL

COPIES TO:

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

PS/LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL PS/HOME SECRETARY

PS/CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

PS/LORD PRIVY SEAL

PS/SECRETARY FOR TRADE & INDUSTRY

COPIES TO: (VIA ADR)

MR ROBERTS

NEWS D

MR BURROWS LEGAL ADVS

MR COLES NO 10 DOWNING ST

SIR A PARSONS NO 10 DOWNING ST.

MR MARTIN ASSESSMENT STAFF CABINET OFFICE

MR GOODALL CABINET OFFICE

MR BRENNAN CABINET OFFICE PS/S OF S FOR DEFENCE D PS/ATTORNEY GENERAL

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}