GRS 250
CONFIDENTIAL
FM OTTAWA 07163OZ OCT 83
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
ніско 10/5/
04015
386
ABB Cha!!!
TELEGRAM NUMBER 519 OF 7 OCTOBER
INFO IMMEDIATE PEXING, HONG KONG AND WASHINGTON
VISIT BY CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER
1. WU XUEQIAN IS PAYING AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO CANADA. HE HAS COMP- LETED A TWO DAY PROGRAMME IN OTTAWA, INCLUDING TALKS WITH THE
GOVERNMENT. HE IS VISITING OTHER CITIES IN ONTARIO TODAY, AND MONTREAL ON SATURDAY, BEFORE FLYING TO NEW YORK ON MONDAY
10 OCTOBER AND LATER TO WASHINGTON.
2. AT A PRESS CONFERENCE BEFORE LEAVING OTTAWA YESTERDAY HE
EMPHASISED THE NEED FOR BILATERAL TRADE TO CONTINUE AND EXPAND
AND SAID THAT THE PREMIER ZHAO ZIYIANG WOULD BE PAYING A VISIT TO CANADA IN JANUARY.
3. ON HONG KONG, THE DEA TELL US THAT HE RESTATED ESTABLISHED POSITIONS, BOTH IN TALKS AND AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE, AND THERE
WAS NO DRAMA, THEY SAY HE WAS FIRM ON SOVEREIGNTY BUT ALSO MADE
AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE A NUMBER OF REMARKS DESIGNED TO REASSURE
CANADIAN BUSINESSMEN INTERESTED IN HONG KONG. WE WILL TELEGRAPH DETAILS, INCLUDING EXTRACTS FROM THE PRESS CONFERENCE WHICH THEY ARE TRANSCRIBING FOR US, LATER TODAY, AN AGENCY REPORT OF THE
PRESS CONFERENCE, AS CARRIED IN TODAY'S GLOBE AND MAIL, SAYS:
**MR WU SAID THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT CHINA WILL TAKE CONTROL
OF THE BRITISH COLONY OF HONG KONG IN 1997 WHEN BRITAIN'S
99-YEAR LEASE TO ADMINISTER IT RUNS OUT.
**OUR HOPE IS THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL BE SENSIBLE
BECAUSE THE QUESTION OF SOVEREIGNTY (OVER HONG KONG) IS NOT
NEGOTIABLE*, HE SAID. HE ADDED THAT CHINA WILL ANNOUNCE
ITS DECISION TO RESUME SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG IN
SEPTEMBER 1984, WHEN NEGOTIATIONS WITH BRITAIN ARE SCHEDULED
TO END.''
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