TNAG-1322-FCO40-1728-Future-of-Hong-Kong-opinion-polls-and-surveys-1984 — Page 135

GPS600

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIALCP COPY

72

FM HONG KONG 29044OZ NOV 84

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 3640 OF 29 NOVEMBER

INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, BRUSSELS, WASHINGTON,

CG NEW YORK, UK MIS GENEVA

FOR HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OVERSEAS REPRESENTATIVES

HKG/GT/82

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: SRH SURVEY

HKIC 040/2/5

RECEIVE

INDEX

FURTHER TO S(GD)'S TELNO 3547, A COPY OF THE SURVEL REPORŤ HAS BEEN SENT TO YOU BY SPEED POST.

LINE TO TAKE

2 9 NOV 1984

29

2. THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN HAS RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY BY SAYING **SRH'S FINDINGS ARE VERY HELPFUL PARTICULARLY WHERE THEY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DETAILS TO SUPPLEMENT THE WIDER EXERCISE CONDUCTED BY THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE. WHEN THE REPORT ON THE LATTER ASSESSMENT APPEARS LATER THIS MONTH, IT WILL PROVE MUCH MORE COMPREHENSIVE THAN THE SRH SURVEY COVERING A BROADER SPECTRUM OF OPINION WHICH WILL BE REPORTED IN CONSIDERATBLE DETAIL''

3. AS REGARDS THE PROPOSITION THAT THE ANSWER TO THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE AGREEMENT IS 'YES, BUT' (SCMP'S REPORT ON 24.11.84), IT IS BY NO MEANS DIFFERENT FROM THE ADMINISTRATION'S ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC OPINION ON THE SUBJECT.

4. SCMP (24.11.84) CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO TRY HARDER TO EXPLAIN THE CONTENTS OF THE AGREEMENT TO THE PEOPLE. THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN DONE SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER ON THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT. A TOTAL OF 2.4 MILLION COPIES OF THE WHITE PAPER HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED. MANY SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE SPOKEN ON THE AGREEMENT. SEVERAL BACKGROUND BRIEFINGS FOR THE PRESS WERE HELD. GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS PARTICIPATED IN MANY PANEL DISCUSSIONS AND FORUMS TO EXPOUND THE DETAILS OF THE AGREEMENT. SPECIAL EFFORT HAS ALSO BEEN

MADE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS RECEIVED FROM ALL CHANNELS.

5. SCMP ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE FINDING THAT 77 PERCENT AGREED THAT IT WAS NOT A VERY GOOD AGREEMENT. RESPONDENTS WERE ACTUALLY ASKED TO INDICATE THEIR AGREEMENT OR DISAGREEMENT TO THE STATEMENT IT'S NOT A VERY GOOD AGREEMENT, BUT THE BEST THAT COULD BE EXPECTED UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES'. RESULTS:

AGREE A LOT (17 PERCENT): AGREE A LITTLE (60 PERCENT): NEITHER AGREE NOR DISAGREE (4 PERCENT): DISAGREE A LITTLE (8 PERCENT):

CONFIDENTIAL

/ DISAGREE

Bil 30)!!

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