TNAG-1254-FCO40-1587-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 25

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(190)

GPS 350

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG 170855Z AUG 93

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1219 OF 17 AUGUST 1983

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, BRUSSELS

AND UKMIS GENEVA

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE

HKK040/2

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

• Auu 1983

1. FURTHER PRESS REACTION TO HU YAOBANG'S STATEMENT (MY TELNO 1208)

HAS BEEN RELATIVELY SUBDUED. THE CONSENSUS VIEW IS THAT THE

STATEMENT REPRESENTS LITTLE THAT IS NEW IN SUBSTANCE, ALTHOUGH

HU INDICATED THAT CHINA IS PREPARED TO WALT UNTIL 1997. IN OTHER

WORDS, HONG KONG WILL ENJOY BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR A FURTHER 14

YEARS. NEVERTHELESS, AT LEAST ONE NEWSPAPER (SOUTH CHINA MORNING

POST) HAS COMMENTED THAT A CONTINUED REPUTATION OF QUOTE THE

CHINESE THREAT UNQUOTE CAN LEAD ONLY TO ALARM AND ULTIMATELY

DESPAIR.

2. THE NEW EVENING POST (COMMUNIST) WARNED THAT CHINA WOULD TAKE

BACK HONG KONG EVEN EARLIER THAN 1997 IF QUOTE SUBVERSIVE ELEMENTS

UNQUOTE TRIED TO ROCK THE BOAT. HU YAOBANG'S REMAKRS HAD MADE

CLEAR THAT SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMINISTRATION WERE INSEPARABLE, SO

WHEN LOCAL RESIDENTS EXPRESSED THEIR VIEWS ON THE FUTURE THESE

SHOULD BE CONFINED TO WAYS OF MAINTAINING THE PROSPERITY OF THE

TERRITORY ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLE OF QUOTE HONG KONG PEOPLE TO GOVERN HONG KONG UNQUOTE. A COLUMNH-ST IN THE COMMERCIAL DAILY

(COMMUNIST) SAID THAT HU YAOBANG HAD NOT LEAKED ANY INSIDE INFOR-

MATION BUT HAD SIMPLY SOUGHT TO BOOST CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. THE

COLUMNIST ACCUSED QUOTE SOME ELEMENTS UNQUOTE OF EXPLOITING THE

CURRENT RECESS IN THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS TO WHIP UP UNNECESSARY

AND HARMFUL PRESSURE FROM RIGHT-WING ORGANISATIONS.

3. THE INDEPENDENT PRESS PUBLISHED COMMENTS FROM A HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN THAT QUOTE THE ONLY AUTHENTIC INFORMATION

IS THAT WHICH EMERGES OFFICIALLY FROM THE TALKS UNQUOTE. OTHERWISE,

COMMENT WAS CONFINED TO A REITERATION OF THE IMPRACTICABILITY OF

THE PROPOSITION THAT QUOTE HONG KONG PEOPLE RULE HONG KONG

ACCORDING TO HONG KONG LAWS UNQUOTE.

RESTRICTED

/ 4. HAVING

M

$4

MISTRY

erion Tak

іспаз 16