TNAG-1254-FCO40-1587-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 18

тор сору

SECRET

CRE 700

SECRET

FRUM PEKING 100700Z AUG 53

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM WUMBER 777 OF 10TH AUG 33

MKK0906

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

· AUG 1983

OF SM OF

INDEX

ICER

PA

WHY

7

1CH118

(337)

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG AND CANBERRA (PERSONAL FOR HIGH COMMISSIONER)

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: MR HAYDEN'S TALKS IN PEKING

1. THE AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY HERE HAVE GIVE US A FULL BRIEFING OF MR HAYDEN'S TALKS WITH WU XUEQIAN ON HONG KUNG. THEY HAVE ASKED THAT THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE GIVEN US THIS BRIEFING SHOULD NOT BE REVEALED TO OTHER AUSTRALIAN MISSIONS OR TO THE DFA IN CANBERRA,

PLEASE PROTECT.

2. HAYDEN HAD SAID IN HIS OPENING STATEMENT TO WU THAT HE WOULD LIKE BRIEFING ON HONG KONG AND TAIWAN. WU HAD RETURNED TO THE SUBJECT AT A LATER STAGE IN THE TALKS. HE SAID THAT THE CONTENT

OF THE DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE UK AND CHINA WAS A PRIVATE MATTER. HOWEVER HE COULD GIVE SOME BRIEFING ON THE CHINESE POSITION. THE ISSUE HAD BEEN RAISED BY MRS THATCHER WITH DENG AND ZHAO, WHO MADE CLEAR THAT AFTER 1997 SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG

WOULD REVERT TO CHINA. CHINA HAD NEVER RECOGNISED THE TREATIES.

THIS POINT WAS NON-NEGOTIABLE. BUT CHINA WOULD HEGOTIATE ON HOW

TO MAINTAIN THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG. DENG HAD

MADE A FURTHER POINT OF PRINCIPLE: CHINA WAS PREPARED TO TURN

HONG KONG INTO A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION WHERE POLICIES

APPLICABLE TO THE CONDITIONS OF HONG KONG WOULD JE PURSUED. FIRMS

OF OTHER COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE UK COULD CONTINUE TO OPERATE :

THEIR PROPERTIES AND INTERESTS WOULD BE PROTECTED. THE STATUTES

AND LAWS WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED. HOWEVER THERE WOULD BE A FEW MINOR

CHANGES, SUCH AS THE OMISSION OF REFERENCES TO HER MAJESTY'S

GOVERNMENT (MR HAYDEN OBSERVED AT THIS POINT THAT AUSTRALIA HAD

NOT YET GOT THIS FAR).

3. WU THEN REFERRED TO DENG'S RECENT MEETINGS WITH HONG KONG

DELEGATIONS TO THE NPC AND CCPCC. HE SAID THAT DENG HAD TOLD

THESE DELEGATIONS THAT IN RESPECT OF THE FUTURE ADMINISTRATION

OF HONG KONG THE LOCAL CHINESE WOULD ELECT THEIR OWN REPRESENTATIVES

TO CONDUCT ADMINISTRATION. ALTERNATIVELY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT

MIGHT APPOINT LOCAL PEOPLE TO MANAGE HONG KONG. BUT PEKING WOULD

NOT SEND IN OUTSIDE PEOPLE TO ADMINISTER THE TERRITORY.

BRITISH ADMINISTRATORS WHO WERE HONG KONG RESIDENTS COULD

CONTINUE TO WORK IN THE ADMINISTRATION AC EMPLOYEES. CHINA

WOULD ALLOW HONG KONG TO HAVE ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH OTHER

COUNTRIES AND HER POSITION AS A FREE PORT AND INTERNATIONAL

SECRET

/FINANCE

Seel

See 2.53