TNAG-1322-FCO40-1728-Future-of-Hong-Kong-opinion-polls-and-surveys-1984 — Page 345

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK040 25

RECE VED IN HEL ISTE

-5 JUL 1984

LIKD

26/6/5

32

to Cufr

FROM:

R D CLIFT,

HKD

INDEX

DATE:

26 June 1984

ARS 23/128

2317

Sir P Cradobil

PS/Mr Luce

Minister (her sex.)

217

Cc:

Sir W Harding

Mr Orr, FED

Mr Goulden, News Dept

Mr Walker, Research Dept

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PUBLIC OPINION

(31

1. I submit Hong Kong tele 1685 giving an assessment of public

opinion in the territory and an account of the latest proposals from

groups in Hong Kong on what an eventual agreement should contain.

2

We have commissioned these periodic reports from Hong Kong so

that we can keep an eye on how opinion has developed since the

Secretary of State's statement on the talks on 20 April. We wish to be able to argue that this monitoring of Hong Kong opinion

constitutes an initial phase in testing the acceptability of the agreement to the people of Hong Kong; that Ministers have been kept informed of the views of the people of Hong Kong; and that the negotiators are taking them into account in the talks in Peking.

will also enable us to enter the debate at a later stage, through

articles or statements by Ministers and members of the Hong Kong

Government, to influence it in constructive directions.

3.

It

This report indicates that in general the mood in Hong Kong is outwardly calm, and that the establishment of the working group has

encouraged confidence that the two sides will arrive at an early

agreement. Beneath the surface however there are signs of unease dhown both in opinion polls and in enquiries at the Australian Commission about immigration prospects. The public service and police remain generally quiet but there is increasing pressure for

undertakings on pensions.

CONFIDENTIAL

Page 345Page 346

C