TNAG-1254-FCO40-1587-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 128

Chinese ess ences of this kind are intended to ellep the feale of financially powerful Hong Kong businessmen. Feking ir attempting to avert en conomic collapse in the Asian trading and finance metropolis.

However, observer: doubt thet the Communist? will succeed in their attenyt to pacify Hong Kong's capitalists. The latter remain scepticel and are already locking for a now 'firm

1

base for their companier in western countries. More long-term investments are now flowing in that direction than into Hong Kong factories.

The super-rich made provisions for themselves years ago. They "exigrated" to western countries to obtain a passport which en- ables them to leave Hong Kong at any time. But the great majority of Hong Kong Chinese have no chance of escaping Chinese sovereignty The identity papers issued in the British Crown Colony do not entitie the holders to a right of abode in Great iritain as a

as a new British law clearly stipulates.

Virtually no one in Hong Kong doubts that the Colony will be taken over by the Feople's Republic of China. The discussion concentrates

HOLE on the timing and consequences of such a take-over. In the Liddle of last year, the Government in Feking caused dismay among 2 large proportion of the population by announcing that the Chinese fle) would fly over Hong Kong. Stock prices plummeted.

"Hicazhile most people have adjusted to the idea of living with this time-bout. People have begun to put their affairs in order, but they are not rushing things. This is the impression of one wester:. diplomat in Hong Kong.

[!

Hore

The Chinore Communists substantiate their claim to Hong Hong by

Bring that the

les concluded between Chin. end Great Ex

ここ

、

in the last century are voia cince they are "unequal treatice". these treaties Chine ceded important parts of the long Hong alea, namely the Kowloon peninsula and the island of Victoria, to the British "in perpetuity". The so-called "New Territories" wele iCas- ed to Great Britain in 1895 for 99 years, i.c. until 1915. Cfficial..

Peking no longer recognises this agreement either.