GR 1350
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 200715Z JAN 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
DENTIAK KO40!!
TELEGRAM NUMBER 102 OF 20 JANUARY
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
RECEIVED IN MEGISTRY UN 1984
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FUTURE OF HONG KONG: INTERVIEW GIVEN BY HUJAN XIANG
1. THE AFP CORRESPONDENT HERE INTERVIEWED HUAN XIANG, ADVISER TO THE CHINESE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, ON CHINESE FOREIGN POLICY ON 16 JANUARY. ON 19 JANUARY HE PASSED US A COPY OF HIS NOTES (AS APPROVED BY THE CHINESE) FOLLOWING THE INTERVIEW. ABOUT 30% OF THE INTERVIEW WAS DEVOTED TO HONG KONG AND CONTAINED SOME POINTS OF INTEREST. THE FOLLOWING IS OUR TRANSLATION OF THE RELEVANT PART. HE EXPECTS THE INTERVIEW TO BE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN HONG KONG AND ELSEWHERE TODAY (20 JANUARY).
Q: ARE WE CLOSE TO AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN CHINA AND GREAT BRITAIN ON THE HONG KONG QUESTION?
A: AFTER SEVERAL ROUNDS OF TALKS, SINO-BRITISH NEGOTIATIONS HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS, AS WAS STATED IN THE COMMUNIQUE ISSUED FOLLOWING THE LAST ROUND OF TALKS. (LEADING) CHINESE HAVE ALREADY MADE KNOWN WHAT ACTIONS ARE ENVISAGED BY CHINA FOR THE SOLUTION OF THE HONG KONG PROBLEM AFTER THE RECOVERY OF CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG. HONG KONG WILL BE RUN BY HONG KONG PEOPLE, THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG WILL ENJOY WIDE AUTONOMY AND THE CAPITALIST SOCIAL SYSTEM OF HONG KONG WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR 50 YEARS. Q: HAS BRITAIN ACCEPTED THE PRINCIPLE OF CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY. OVER HONG KONG?
RECEIVED IN N
A: THIS QUESTION IS PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.ON THIS POINT FROM WHAT HAS BEEN REVEALED IN THE BRITISH PRESS, IT SEEMS AS IF BRITAIN HAS PUT THIS PROBLEM ASIDE FOR THE MOMENT. AS I HAVE. NOT TAKEN PART IN THE NEGOTIATIONS AND AS THEY ARE SECRET པགས་
INDRY NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH THEM. WHAT I HAVE JUST SAID IS WHAT T HAVE LEARNED FROM BRITISH PEOPLE VISITING CHINA AND THE ENGLISH PRESS.
Q: HAVE BRITISH MPS AND THE ENGLISH PRESS INFORMED YOU OF THE NATURE OF THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE?
A: NO.
Q: YOU WILL CERTAINLY RECALL REMARKS YOU HAVE MADE TO GERMAN COLLEAGUES OF MINE. YOU SAID THAT IN THE EVENT OF CHINA RECOVERING SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG, THOSE HONG KONG PEOPLE WHO ARE UNABLE TO ACCEPT THE CHINESE SYSTEM WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE. I AM SURE YOU KNOW THIS POSITION PROVOKED DISCUSSION IN HONG KONG. DO YOU STILL HOLD IT?
A: FIRST OF ALL, THE CHINESE POSITION ON HONG KONG IS THAT THE QUESTION OF SOVEREIGNTY IS NOT NEGOTIABLE AND THAT SOVEREIGNTY IS INSEPARABLE FROM ADMINISTRATION. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR BARGAINING ON THIS POINT. TO SEEK TO BARGAIN THROUGH EMPLOYING THE TERMS
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CEDED TERRITORY AND LEASED TERRITORY' CONTAINED IN
THE UNEQUAL TREATIES IS ALSO OUT OF THE QUESTION BECAUSE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY OFFICIALLY STATED THAT IT RECOGNISES NO UNEQUAL TREATY IMPOSED UPON CHINA. FOR THE REST, AS HONG KONG WIL BE ADMINISTERED BY HONG KONG PEOPLE, THEY WILL HAVE THE
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