TNAG-1306-FCO40-1663-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 63

GR 1470

HKK04011

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

3 JAN 1984

UNCLASSIFIED

FM PEKING 170707Z JAN 84

INDEX

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

7 TOP COPY

3

TELEGRAM NUMBER 81 OF 17TH JAN 84

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

3DMY

MY TELNO 80: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: JI PENGFEI'S INTERVIEW WITH

LIAOWANG.

1.

OUR TRANSLATION OF THE FULL INTERVIEW IS AS FOLLOWS:

Q THE SECOND PHASE OF SINO-BRITISH TALKS ON THE HONG KONG QUESTION HAS BEEN IN PROGRESS FOR MORE THAN SIX MONTHS:

WHAT IS YOUR EVALUATION OF THE 7 ROUNDS SO FAR, AND WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE THE PROSPECTS FOR THE TALKS?

A THE SINO BRITISH TALKS ON THE HONG KONG QUESTION BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER 1982 WHEN BRITISH PRIME MINISTER MRS THATCHER VISITED CHINA. FROM JULY 1983 THE TALKS ENTERED THE SECOND PHASE, WITH DISCUSSION ON SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS. THE 8TH ROUND OF TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES IN THE SECOND PHASE WILL TAKE PLACE IN PEKING AT THE END OF JANUARY 1984. THE TWO SIDES HAVE AGREED THAT THE CONTENT OF THE TALKS WILL NOT BE REVEALED BY EITHER SIDE UNILATERALLY. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT TO THIS TIME THE TALKS HAVE MADE PROGRESS. I HOPE THAT WITH JOINT EFFORTS BY BOTH SIDES AN AGREEMENT CAN BE REACHED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. Q WHAT IS CHINA'S POSITION OF PRINCIPLE ON THE HONG KONG

QUESTION?

A THE HISTORY AND PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG ARE KNOWN TO ALL. THE HONG KONG REGION (INCLUDING HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES) HAS BEEN A PART OF CHINESE TERRITORY SINCE ANCIENT TIMES. BRITAIN FORCED CHINA TO CEDE AND LEASE THE REGION THROUGH THE SUCCESSIVE SIGNATURE OF THREE UN-EQUAL TREATIES WITH THE QING GOVERNMENT IN 1842, 1860 AND 1898. THE CHINESE PEOPLE HAVE NEVER RECOGNISED AND HAVE

SINCE THE RESOLUTELY OPPOSED THESE UN-EQUAL TREATIES.

FOUNDING OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA WE HAVE TIME AND AGAIN DECLARED SOLEMNLY THAT OUR POSITION OF PRINCIPLE ON THE RECOVER OF THE EXERCISE OF SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE HONG KONG REGION IS FIRM AND UNSHAKEABLE, AND THAT WE WILL DISCUSS THE SOLUTION TO THIS QUESTION LEFT OVER FROM HISTORY WITH BRITAIN WHEN THE CONDITIONS ARE RIPE. THE TIME IS NOW RIPE FOR THE RESOLUTION OF THIS PROBLEM. THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IN HANDLING THE HONG KONG QUESTION IS THAT WE WILL RECOVER THE EXERCISE OF SOVEREIGNTY OVER THIS REGION IN 1997 AND WILL ADOPT MEASURES TO PRESERVE HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND

PROSPERITY.

Sex 33

/ Q WHAT

32