TNAG-1251-FCO40-1584-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 36

GR 350

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG 111025Z FEB 83.

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 223 OF 11 FEBRUARY

INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON PEKİNG

HOP COPY

14 FEB 1983

WT AF 2" 12"

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE

FACTUAL COVERAGE OF SHULTZ'S MEETING WITH ME AND OF THE U.S. REGIONAL HEADS OF MISSION MEETING WAS FAIRLY WIDESPREAD IN THE HONG KONG PRESS. SHULTZ DID NOT GIVE A PRESS CONFERENCE WHILE HERE BUT SPOKE INFORMALLY TO JOURNALISTS ACCOMPANYING HIM. THE U.S. INFORMATION SERVICE PUT OUT AN ACCOUNT OF HIS REMARKS. ASKED WHETHER THE QUESTION OF THE FUTURE HAD COME UP IN HIS MEETING WITH ME SHULTZ WAS QUOTED AS SAYING: QUOTE YOU CAN'T BE IN HONG KONG AND NOT HAVE PEOPLE RAISE THIS QUESTION, BUT IT'S NOT A SUBJECT WE CAN REALLY CONTRIBUTE TO. WE JUST EXPRESS OUR HOPE THAT THEY (CHINA AND THE UK) CAN WORK IT OUT IN A MANNER THAT CONTUNUES TO SERVE THIS... UNIQUE COMMUNITY UNQUOTE. HE ADDED THAT THE U.S. HAD CONSIDERABLE INTERESTS IN HONG KONG AND DESIRED A SOLUTION WHICH WOULD PROMOTE HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. ASKED IF HE THOUGHT THE QUESTION COULD BE WORKED OUT HE REPLIED: QUOTE I WOULD THINK SO. IT IS A GOOD THING EVERYBODY HAS GOING HERE AND USUALLY PEOPLE LIKE TO KEEP A GOOD THING GOING UNQUOTE.

2. THESE REMARKS WERE GIVEN EXTENSIVE BUT NOT PARTICULARLY PROMINENT COVERAGE IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND INDEPENDENT CHINESE LANGUAGE PRESS. SHULTZ'S REMARKS ABOUT BRITAIN AND CHINA WORKING OUT A SOLUTION WERE REPORTED ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE (COMMUNIST) WEN WEI PO.

3. A NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT CHINESE LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED EDITORIAL COMMENT SPECULATING THAT THE UNITED STATES MIGHT WISH TO PLAY AN INTERMEDIARY ROLE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS. NO (NO) SOURCES WERE CLAIMED TO JUSTIFY SUCH SPECULATION.

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FUTURE OF HONG KONG

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COPIES TO

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MR ROBERTS

LEGAL ADVISER

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ME MARTIN

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