GRS 485
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 112115Z
CONFIDENTIAL
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MKK 040 5
ISCEIVED IN KESSY NO. 51 12 APR 1983
BECUSTRY
am Telen
FM FCO 111800Z APR 83
TO IMMEDIATE WELLINGTON
INDE
TELEGRAM NUMBER 69 OF 11 APRIL
INFO PEKING, HONG KONG
CM1314
YOUR TELNO 94: NEW ZEALAND AND CHINA
1. LETTERS UNDER REFERENCE NOT YET RECEIVED.
WE HAVE NO SPECIAL
POINTS ON CHINA IN GENERAL BUT YOU MAY LIKE TO OFFER SOME
BRIEFING ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG DRAWING ON OUR GUIDANCE TELNO
192 AND THE FOLLOWING.
2.
MEETINGS BETWEEN SIR P CRADOCK AND CHINESE VICE FOREIGN
MINISTER TO FOLLOW UP THE PRIME MINISTER'S SEPTEMBER VISIT TO
CHINA HAVE BEGUN AND ARE CONTINUING. PROGRESS IS SLOW BUT MORE
IMPORTANT TO FIND RIGHT ANSWER THAN TO RUSH. NO TIMETABLE SET.
3.
WELL KNOWN DIFFERENCE OF VIEWS OVER SOVEREIGNTY BUT GIVEN
COMMON AIM MAINTENANCE OF HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY
BELIEVE WE CAN REACH OUTCOME ACCEPTABLE TO THE TWO GOVERNMENTS AND
TO HONG KONG.
4. ONE PROBLEM IS GETTING OVER TO THE CHINESE THE ESSENTIAL BASIS
OF BUSINESS AND POPULAR CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. AT PRESENT THIS
RELIES ON BRITISH LINK AS GUARANTEE AGAINST CHINESE COMMUNIST
INTERFERENCE. CHINESE PROPAGANDA AFFECTS TO FAVOUR 'AUTONOMY'
FOR HONG KONG, BUT UNDER A PEKING UMBRELLA, AS A SPECIAL
ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PRC. THEY SEEM TO BELIEVE THAT HONG
KONG PEOPLE CAN BE REASSURED OF NON-INTERFERENCE AFTER 1997 BY
STATEMENTS ALONE. THIS IS REGARDED WITH SCEPTICISM BY MOST
PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT IMPORTANT PRACTICAL
ASPECTS, EG PROBLEM OF MAINTAINING INDEPENDENT CURRENCY, LEGAL SYSTEM AND THE FREEDOM TO OPERATE A CAPITALIST ECONOMIC SYSTEM WITH
THE MINIMUM OF GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION'. THERE IS THEREFORE MUCH
EMPHASIS ON THE NEED FOR CONTINUITY OF ADMINISTRATION.
5. WE ARE CONCENTRATING ON MAINTAINING AND MAKING PROGRESS IN
THE TALKS. WE BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT TO EDUCATE THE CHINESE
ABOUT THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THEIR PUBLICLY EXPRESSED IDEAS BUT
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