TNAG-1299-FCO40-1655-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 108

283

RESTRICTED

GRS 450

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG 19090OZ APR 84

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1075 OF 19 APRIL

INFO HONGAID BRUSSELS GENEVA

TOP COPI

HKK 027/2

WASHINGTON CG NEW YORK

FOR HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES

HKG/GT/57 FUTURE OF HONG KONG :

SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT

1.

JAK

2614

FOLLOWING THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH MR. DENG XIAOPING ON 19 APRIL, THE NCNA IN PEKING MADE THE FOLLOWING RELEASE.

BEGINS

BEIJING, APRIL 18 (XINHUA) CHAIRMAN DENG XIAOPING AND BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY GEOFFREY HOWE HAD A WIDE-RANGING DISCUSSION AND AGREED ON IMPORTANT MATTERS CONCERNING THE ISSUE OF HONG KONG

HERE TODAY.

DENG XIAOPING REITERATED THAT THE PRESENT SYSTEM IN HONG KONG WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR 50 YEARS FOLLOWING CHINA'S RECOVERY OF ITS SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG IN 1997.

''THIS POSITION OF OURS IS TAKEN IN CONNECTION WITH CHINA'S LONG- TERM OBJECTIVE OF REALIZING THE FOUR MODERNIZATIONS, SAID THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CENTRAL ADVISORY COMMISSION OF THE CHINESE

COMMUNIST PARTY.

་ 'GREAT

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, DENG XIAOPING SAID TO HOWE, CHANGES HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN CHINA SINCE YOUR LAST VISIT IN 1978. BUT, COMPARED WITH OUR SPLENDID GOALS, THEY ARE JUST A BEGIN- NING OUR FIRST GOAL IS TO ENSURE A WELL-OFF LIVING STANDARD FOR THE CHINESE PEOPLE BY THE END OF THIS CENTURY, HE SAID. **WE ALSO HAVE A SECOND GOAL, THAT IS, TO REACH OR APPROACH THE ECONOMIC STANDARD OF THE ADVANCED COUNTRIES IN THE NEXT 30 TO 50

YEARS, HE ADDED.

#1

HE SAID THAT THE FUTURE OF CHINA DOES NOT DEPEND ON THE ROLE OF ONE OR TWO PERSONS, BUT RATHER ON THE CORRECTNESS OF THE POLICIES AND THE ROAD TO BE TAKEN. IF THE ROAD IS CORRECT, NO ONE CAN CHANGE IT BECAUSE ANY CHANGE WOULD BE UNPOPULAR, HE SAID. ''THE CHANGES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN CHINA IN THE LAST FEW YEARS ARE IN ACCORD WITH THE INTERESTS AND WISHES OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE. THEREFORE, THEY WILL BE CONTINUED", DENG SAID. HOWE SAID THAT HE HAD SEEN MANY CHANGES IN BEIJING DURING HIS VISIT, ADDING THAT HE WAS MOST PLEASED TO SEE CHAIRMAN DENG IN GOOD HEALTH, IN HIGH SPIRITS AND FULL OF CONFIDENCE. THE 90 MINUTE DISCUSSION ALSO TOUCHED ON A NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL ISSUES.

PRESENT WERE CHINESE STATE COUNCILLOR AND FOREIGN MINISTER WU XUEQIAN, ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER ZHOU NAN AND MEMBERS OF SIR - GEOFFREY HOWE'S PARTY.

ENDS

RESTRICTED

12.