TNAG-1356-FCO40-1797-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 131

GRS 600

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESK BY 22120OZ FCO

TELNO 2612

OF 221025Z NOVEMBER 85

INFO DESKBY 221200Z PEKING

DENTIAL HRROLL

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 25 NOV 1985

RA

AB 25

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG : PRESS CONFERENCE BY

XU JIATUN, DIRECTOR OF HONG KONG BRANCH NCNA

1. XU JIATUN GAVE A LONG PRESS BRIEFING AT A SPECIALLY SUMMONED MEETING YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. MOST OF WHAT HE SAID WAS CONVENTIONAL AND DISCURSIVE DEALING WITH THEORETICAL ISSUES OF CAPITALISM, SOCIALISM, CLASS STRUGGLE AND OTHER ARCANE SUBJECTS. BUT IN HIS COMMENTS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG HE AGAIN DIS-ASSOCIATED THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT FROM ANY OBLIGATION AS REGARDS THE ACTIONS WE HAVE TAKEN SEMICOLON COMMENTED THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT DID NOT AGREE WITH THE NOTION THAT THERE SHOULD BE GREAT CHANGES FOR 12 YEARS AND NO CHANGE FOR 50 YEARS SEMICOLON AND IN HIS FINAL COMMENT SUGGESTED THAT IN CERTAIN RESPECTS THERE WAS ALPEADY A TENDANCY TO DEVIATE FROM THE PRINCIPLES OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THIS COULD NOT BE IGNORED. HE DECLINED TO ELABORATE ON WHAT HE MEANT BY THIS REMARK.

2. THE NON-COMMUNIST PRESS GAVE EXTENSIVE AND PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THESE COMMENTS AND INTRODUCED. THEM WITH HEADLINES SUCH AS ''REFORMS MAY MEAN TROUBLE, WARNS XU'' AND 'HONG KONG REFORMS OFF

THE TRACK XU''.

SIMILAR COVERAGE HAS BEEN GIVEN ON LOCAL TELEVISION. THE BBC WORLD SERVICES THIS MORNING REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE HAD GIVEN STRONG WARNING THAT THEY OBJECTED TO THE POLITICAL REFORMS RECENTLY INTRODUCED IN HONG KONG INCLUDING THE INDIRECT

ELECTION OF SOME MEMBERS OF LEGCO.

3. WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS INTENTIONAL, THROUGH THE SPECIAL SCHEDULING OF THE PRESS BRIEFING JUST BEFORE THE JLG MEETING AND THE PUBLIC INTIMATION OF DISSATISFACTION WITH THE CHANGES WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE IN REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT HERE, THE CHINESE HAVE MADE A MAJOR PUBLIC ISSUE OUT OF PERCEIVED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES ON THIS QUESTION. FOREIGN JOURNALISTS ARE ALREADY COMMENTING, WITH SOME JUSTIFICATION, THAT XU'S COMMENTS WERE VERY DISTURBING AND WILL AFFECT INVESTORS! CONFIDENCE (THE HANG SENG INDEX FELL 50 POINTS TODAY).✨.

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