TNAG-1299-FCO40-1655-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 80

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CPS ३५० UNCLASSIFIED

FM TOKYO 230615Z APRIL 1984

HKK 027/2

REGU

R; AUSTRY

2 6 APR 1984

TO IMMEDIATE SEOUL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 14 OF 23/4/84

INFO PRIORITY F C O, HONG KONG, AND PEKING.

FOR GOULDEN, SECRETARY OF STATE'S PARTY.

OUR TEL NO 44: HONG KONG- EDITORIALS IN JAPANESE PRESS.

1. ASAHI SHINBUN (22 APRIL), MAINICHI SHINBUN

AND TOKYO SHINBUN ( 23 APRIL) CARRIED EDITORIALS ON THE

SECRETARY OF STATE'S PRESS CONFERENCE ON 20 APRIL.

2. ASAHI : WELCOMES SIR G HOWE'S STATEMENT AND

INTERPRETS IT AS A MAJOR CONCESSION TO RETURN TO

CHINA SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMISTRATIVE POWERS

OVER HONG KONG. ASAHI DRAWS ATTENTION TO SECRETARY OF STATE'S INSISTENCE THAT HONG KONG RETAIN A HIGH DEGREE OF

AUTONOMY THIS REPRESENTS THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE

OF HONG KONG AND CAN BE REGARDED AS A CONDITION OF ITS

RETURN TO CHINA. IF CHINA SHOWS AN INFLEXIBLE

ATTITUDE TO THE ISSUE IT WILL PUT OFF SUCH

COUNTRIES AS JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES WHICH

ARE NOW EXPANDING ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION WITH CHINA.

24/4

3. MAINICHI: WELCOMES BRITAIN'S DECISION (SIC)

TO RELINGQUISH SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMINISTRATIVE POWERS. THIS

IS A MAJOR CONCESSION IN PRINCIPLE TO CHINA. BRITAIN MADE A WISE CHOICE IN SETTLING THE DELICATE TERRITORIAL ISSUE PEACEFULLY, ESPECIALLY IN VIEW OF THE FALKLANDS CONFLICT. MAINICHI EXPRESSES HOPE THAT CHINA WILL MAKE EFFORTS TO BRING ABOUT ARRANGEMENTS CONDUCTIVE TO FUTURE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG.

IT IS NECESSARY FOR CHINA TO GIVE ASSURANCES THAT ITS PRESENT POLICY OF NOT CHANGING THE SYSTEM IN HONG KONG FOR 50 YEARS AFTER 1997 WILL BE HANDED ON TO THE SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS (OF THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP).

14.