TNAG-1322-FCO40-1728-Future-of-Hong-Kong-opinion-polls-and-surveys-1984 — Page 288

PS/ Mr Luce

File.

CONFIDENTIAL

39

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REVEIVED IN heulola'

2 5 JUL 1984

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1287717

TEJ Mound, HKD

DATE: 25 July 1984

CC:

PS/PUS

Sir W Harding

Mr Orr, FED

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: STATE OF PUBLIC OPINION

32' A

1. We have commissioned a regular series of reports from Hong

Kong on the debate in the territory about the future, SO that

Ministers can keep in touch with developments. We regard the Secretary of State's unveiling statement in April as beginning

the period over which acceptability can be tested. We shall need

to be able to show, in November, that Ministers have kept abreast

of the state of opinion in the territory during that period, both

through visits and be receiving reports from Hong Kong (Mr Clift's

minute of 26 June).

2. I submit the latest in this series of reports. It says that

attention in the territory over the last few weeks has focussed on

the question of the joint group to be established in the territory

in the transitional period. Many newspapers have called on the British

Government to reject the group, but others accept that a group is

inevitable and urge Britain to limit its terms of reference. The

assurance by a senior NCNA official that the group would not be

watchdog over the Hong Kong government has succeeded in reassuring

some sections of opinion. There have been no other noteworthy

proposals on the future of Hong Kong.

3. The Hong Kong dollar and the stock market has suffered from

jitters as а result of uncertainty about progress in the talks.

Nervousness among the population continues. Reaction to the public-

ation of the Green Paper on representative government and the

announcement of the test of acceptability has been noted.

4.

as

Debate on the future continues at approximately the same

level

at the time of the last report. We can, however, expect an

/upturn

CONFIDENTIAL