TNAG-1310-FCO40-1667-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 13

GRS 650

UNCLASSIFIED

FROM PEKING 150555Z MAY

MAY 84

RECEIVED 12a JMTAY

16 MAY 1984

TOP COPY

HKK 040/1

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 921 OF 15/5/84

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

FUTURE OF HONG KONG:

NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS

DIEGISTRY Lction Taken!

atbals

see (396)

1. THE PEOPLE'S DAILY OF 15 MAY REPORTS COMMENTS

AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON 14 MAY BY NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS (NPC) SPOKESMAN ZENG TAO. ON THE UMELCO STATEMENT HE SAID THAT **IT DOES NOT REPRESENT THE WISHES OF THE VAST MAJORITY

OF HONG KONG COMPATRIOTS AND IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG. THE STATEMENT IS AN ATTEMPT TO INTERFERE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS

ON THE HONG KONG ISSUE.'' ZENG WAS ASKED WHETHER THE HONG KONG QUESTION WOULD BE DISCUSSED AT THE NPC SESSION. HE REPLIED

THAT THE ISSUE WAS NOT ON THE AGENDA BUT THAT

NPC DELEGATES HAD THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON

ANY IMPORTANT QUESTION AFTER THEY HAD LISTENED TO

THE REPORT OF THE PREMIER ON THE WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT.

WHEN ASKED WHETHER THE DRAFT AGREEMENT WOULD BE DISCUSSED

BY THE NPC AT A FUTURE DATE, HE REPLIED THAT ALL IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

OF STATE HAD TO BE DISCUSSED BY THE NPC OR ITS

STANDING COMMITTEE. ZENG WAS ALSO

ASKED WHETHER A PLAN EXISTED TO INVITE THE NINE UMELCO MEMBERS

TO PEKING TO EXCHANGE VIEWS. HE REPLIED THAT HE HAD

NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A PLAN.

2. THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S POLITICAL CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE (CPPCC),

A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ADVISORY BODY WHICH CONCENTRATES ON UNITED FRONT WORK AND WHOSE MEETINGS INVARIABLY OVERLAP WITH THOSE

OF THE NPC, OPENED ITS SECION SESSION ON 12 MAY.

IN HER OPENING SPEECH, ITS CHAIRMAN DENG YINGCHAO

(WIDO OF ZHOU ENLAI) MADE NO MENTION OF THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. SOME INFORMAL REMARKS WHICH SHE MADE OUTISDE THE MEETING AND WHICH HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN PARAGRAPH 6 OF HONG KONG

TEL NO 1313 HAVE NOW BEEN CARRIED IN THE CHINESE PRESS.

13. IN

(394)