TNAG-1258-FCO40-1591-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 115

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FM TOKYO 2908OOZ NOV

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 631 OF 29 NOV 83

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AND INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HONG KONG, AND WASHINGTON

HU YAOBANG'S VISIT: HONG KONG

MKK040/5

AACEIVE IN M

! NOV 1983

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Telasni rep).

1. WE HAVE LEARNT FROM THE MFA THAT HU SAID LITTLE ABOUT HONG KONG DURING HIS TALKS WITH NAKASONE. HE CONFINED HIMSELF TO STATING THAT CHINA WOULD RECOVER SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG AS SCHEDULED IN 1997. THE TERRITORIAL AND SOVEREIGNTY ISSUES WERE SERIOUS MATTERS OF PRINCIPLE FOR CHINA. CHINA WOULD, HOWEVER, GUARANTEE THE INVESTMENT OF FOREIGN COMPANIES IN HONG KONG AFTER REUNIFICATION. NAKASONE REPORTEDLY MADE NO

RESPONSE.

2. HU TOOK A SIMILAR LINE IN HIS SPEECH TO THE DIET. HE SAID

1 ''WE WILL DEFEND TO THE LAST THE TERRITORY AND SOVEREIGNTY OF OUR LAND, ACCOMPLISH THE HOLY TASK OF UNIFYING OUR COUNTRY. WE WILL BRING TAIWAN BACK INTO THE BOSOM OF OUR MAINLAND AND RESTORE THE EXERCISE OF SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TIME-LIMIT. WE WILL OPPOSE ANY INTERFERENCE FROM OUTSIDE. WE WILL MAKE NO TERRITORIAL DEMANDS OF ANY OTHER COUNTRY'

3. HONG KONG WAS APPARANTLY DISCUSSED AT SOMEWHAT

GREATER LENGTH BY THE FOREIGN MINISTERS, WU XEUQIAN AND ABE. THE MFA HAVE SO FAR DECLINED TO TELL US ABOUT THIS DISCUSSION, ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT CONSISTED OF WU'S PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL VIEWS ON FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG'S ECONOMY, SECURITY AND THE GOVERNMENT, WHICH HE SPECIFICALLY ASKED NOT TO BE PASSED ON TO OTHERS HOWEVER AND MFA OFFICIAL HAS TOLD US ON A PERSONAL BASIS (PLEASE PROTECT) THAT WU'S COMMENTS WERE VERY RATIONAL AND CONTAINED NOTHING WHICH SHOULD

BW shouldn't me be best placed to judge this?

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