TNAG-1259-FCO40-1599-The-Future-of-Hong-Kong---special-study-by-FCO--August-1982--1983 — Page 225

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4. HOWEVER THE PRESS HAVE NOT YET EXAMINED IN ANY DETAIL THE

IMPLICATIONS OF BRITAIN'S RECOGNISING CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY, AND HAVE

TENDED TO EQUATE THE RECOVERY OF SOVEREIGNTY WITH THE EXERCISE OF

ADMINISTRATIVE JURISDICTION, INVOLVING UNACCEPTABLE INTERFERENCE BY

CHINA IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG. THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL ON

13 AUGUST SAID, **AMONG VARIOUS CONJECTURES ON THE FUTURE, THE MOST

UNACCEPTABLE ONE IS THAT CHINA WILL RESUME SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997 AND

WILL APPOINT A LOCAL CHINESE AS GOVERNOR. THIS WOULD RUN COUNTER

TO THE WISHES OF MOST HONG KONG PEOPLE'.

J

TO

5. MANY REASONS ARE CITED BY THE PRESS FOR MAINTAINING THE STATUS

QUO: TO PRESERVE HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY, ITS STABILITY, THE SCOPE

OF PERSONAL FREEDOM, THE PRESENT LEGAL SYSTEM, THE

LIFE-STYLE OF ITS PEOPLE AND FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF CHINA

CONTINUE THE TERRITORY'S CONTRIBUTION TO CHINA (OPEN SQUARE BRACKETS) MING PAO ON 9 AUGUST, 5 AUGUST, 22 JULY, TIN FUNG YAT PO

24 JULY (CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS).

6. THE PRESS HAVE ALSO REPORTED A PROPOSAL BY THE PROSPECT INSTITUTE

OF HONG KONG (WHOSE SECRETARY IS WILLIAM CHU OF MING PAO'S EDITORIAL BOARD). THIS ENTAILED A TREATY OF FRIENDSHIP AND

COOPERATION'' BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA, RESTING ON BRITISH

RECOGNITION OF CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY IN EXCHANGE FOR THE RIGHT TO CONTINUE TO ADMINISTER HONG KONG. WITH A SIMILAR PROPOSAL, THE

HONG KONG BELONGERS'' PUBLISHED AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME

MINISTER. APART FROM STRESSING THE NEED TO HASTEN A DECISION ON THE FUTURE, THE LETTER SUGGESTED BRITAIN RENOUNCE THE UNEQUAL

TREATIES' AND CONCLUDE A NEW ONE EMBODYING THE WISHES OF THE

PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

7. OTHER SOLUTIONS APPEARING IN THE LOCAL CHINESE PRESS INCLUDE THE DESIGNATION OF HONG KONG AS A TRUST TERRITORY UNDER BRITISH

ADMINISTRATION ON BEHALF OF EITHER CHINA OR THE UN, AND A POST- PONEMENT FOR 30-50 YEARS OF A DECISION ON THE LEASE EITHER

UNILATERALLY BY CHINA OR BILATERALLY.

e. A NUMBER OF ACADEMICS HAVE COMMENTED TO THE PRESS. JOSEPH CHENG OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY HAS SAID ALTHOUGH MANY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE STATUS QUO MAINTAINED, THEY WERE QUITE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT THE TERRITORY WOULD EVENTUALLY BE RETURNED TO

CHINA''. HE PROPOSED A PACT STATING BRITAIN'S RECOGNITION OF CHINA'S

SOVEREIGNTY IN RETURN FOR EXTENSION OF BRITISH ADMINISTRATION FOR

50 YEARS. HE AND OTHERS HAVE URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO CONDUCT

ITS OWN PUBLIC OPINION POLL.

W

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9. THE AUTHORITATIVE VOICE IN THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE PRESS IS THE

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. ITS EDITORIALS HAVE EMPHASISED THE BENEFITS TO CHINA OF MAINTAINING HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY, THE IMPORTANCE OF PROLONGING THE STATUS QUO AND THE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLIC. 2

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