TNAG-1320-FCO40-1726-Future-of-Hong-Kong-assessment-of-public-opinion-1984 — Page 13

CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 221850Z FEB 84

TO IMMEDIATE SINGAPORE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 46 OF 22 FEBRUARY

..

HIVES IN FLO

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FOLLOWING TELEGRAM NOW REPEATED TO YOU AT REQUEST OF DEPT

WAS RECEIVED FROM HONG KONG TELNO 487 OF 22 FEB

INFO PEKING

FUTURE OF HONG KONG ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC OPINION

FOLLOWING IS OUR FEBRUARY ASSESSMENT AS PROMISED IN HADDON-CAVE'S

LETTER TO CLIFT OF 23 JANUARY YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS A

HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE EXERCISE AND WE WOULD NOT WISH IT TO BE TAKEN

AS NECESSARILY DEFINITIVE. WE SHALL UPDATE IT MONTHLY.

See 10

GENERAL

1. MORE AND MORE THINKING PEOPLE NOW CONSIDER IT INEVITABLE THAT

ONLY POSSIBLE BASIS FOR A SOLUTION IS THE RESUMPTION OF SOVEREIGNTY

AND ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL OVER HONG KONG BY CHINA ON 1997. THIS

IS FOR THE MOST PART A CONCLUSION TO WHICH PEOPLE ARE RESIGNED IN

THE FACE OF THE PRESSURE OF CHINESE STATEMENTS RATHER THAN THE

RESULT OF ANY GREAT FAITH IN THE CHINESE PLAN, BUT CHINESE GOVERN-

MENT REPRESENTATIVES IN HONG KONG ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO REASSURE

HONG KONG PEOPLE THAT THIS NEED NOT DAMAGE THEIR LONG-TERM INTEREST.

THE NCNA ARE ACTIVELY CULTIVATING LEADING MEMBERS OF THE CHINESE

COMMUNITY REGARDLESS OF THEIR POLITICAL LEANINGS AND ASSURING

THEM THAT CHINA WISHES HONG KONG TO REMAIN STABLE AND PROSPEROUS

AND WILL ALLOW A HIGH DEGREE OF ADMINISTRATIVE AUTONOMY ONCE FORMAL

LINKS WITH BRITAIN HAVE DISAPPEARED. THE CHINESE MESSAGE INCREASING-

LY CARRIES THE IMPLICATION THAT THE BRITISH ARE CONCERNED MAINLY

TO PROTECT THEIR OWN INTERESTS AND THAT FOLLOWING SEPTEMBER 1984

IMPORTANT AND DETAILED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE WILL LARGELY

BE BETWEEN PEKING AND THE HONG KONG CHINESE. (XU JIANTUN DIRECTOR

OF THE NCNA SAID ON 16 FEBRUARY THAT CHINA WANTED HONG KONG PEOPLE

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CONFIDENTIAL