GR 280
RESTRICTED
FM PEKING 17093OZ JAN 84
RESTRICTED
TOO WORY?
33)
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 89 OF 17TH JAN 84
LIKKOAO!!
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
AP:84
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
ROUTINE WASHINGTON
REGIS 7.7
INDEX
FA
Action Taka»
CAUSL
!
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: REMARKS BY PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG.
1. AN NCNA DESPATCH OF 16 JANUARY FROM NEW YORK REPORTING ANSWERS GIVEN BY ZHAO AT A LUNCH GIVEN BY THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON US-CHINA RELATIONS AND THE FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION TO QUESTIONS ABOUT HONG KONG HAS AROUSED SOME INTEREST AMONG THE FOREIGN PRESS HERE. THEY WERE INCLINED TO LINK IT TO JI PENGFEI'S INTERVIEW IN LIAO WANG MAGAZINE (REPORTED IN MY TELNO 31). IN OUR VIEW THERE IS PROBABLY NO SUCH LINK: IT WAS ALMOST INEVITABLE THAT ZHAO WOULD SAY SOMETHING ON HONG KONG IN THE USA. AS WITH JI'S INTERVIEW, THERE IS NOTHING IN ZHAO'S REMARKS THAT IS NEW TO US, ALTHOUGH THEY NATURALLY
CARRY CONSIDERABLE AUTHORITY.
2.
THE MAIN POINTS MADE BY ZHAO WERE:
A THE CURRECNT SYSTEM WOULD BE MAINTAINED IN HONG KONG,
3 HONG KONG WOULD BE GOVERNED BY PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG AND
NOT PEKING,
C
THIS WAS A LONG TERM POLICY WHICH WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED
FOR 50 YEARS AFTER 1997,
D THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS WOULD ADOPT A BASIC LAW ON
HONG KONG, GIVING EXPRESSION TO THESE POINTS, AND ON WHICH CHINA WOULD ACT,
RESTRICTED
/E THE
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