RD1AGO
CONFIDENTIAL
MR RENTON'S VISIT TO HONG KONG (27 31 OCTOBER 1985)
-
28.
1.
Political
does not
I
the UK.
1
1
PERCEPTIONS OF CHINA IN HONG KONG
amount fair a
events
in China
in
in Hong Kong of analysis differ significantly from political analysis
Indeed since
of China-watching is done from Hong Kong, much of our political analysis comes from there. As a general perception, the well-being and future success of the reformist movement in China, led by
Deng Xiaoping, is seen as being as strongly
as strongly in the Western
interest in Hong Kong as here.
a
2. There is however obviously a special dimension to this in Hong Kong. China-watching is not academic, since events in China have always impinged closely on real life in Hong Kong. Historically where there has been stable, strong government in China relations between Hong Kong and China have been good. Where there has been weak government or political turmoil in China relations have tended to be bad. A prime example was the riots in Hong Kong in 1967 deriving
from
between ourselves serious disagreement
authorities which
about came Chinese Cultural Revolution disturbances in China. As a general
a
rule
Hong Kong.
therefore
stability
in China
as
a
and the
the result of
means tranquillity
in
3.
there
is
now
1
the added dimension
in Hong Kong
Following the signing of the Sino-British agreement
The
the
reformist
general perception
developing now in the
which they can hope to have
can hope to have to implement the agreement in the future. Hong Kong therefore has an important stake
in
is
image
is
of
future.
as that China
she is
the best China
the
China.
of continuation
the
present
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