TNAG-1390-FCO40-1862-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 135

HONG KONG

Even though I had given only short notice to the Hong Kong Christian Council of my intention to visit Hong Kong, I was extended all the cooperation I could have hoped for, and appointments were arranged at short notice with a wide range of people who could explain how christians in Hong Kong are responding to the Draft Agreement on the future of Hong Kong.

Whilst these arrangements were being made I was able to have a conversation with Philip Lam, a member of the Council's staff, and to hear from him news of recent events and developments in Hong Kong and China.

Delegation of Twentyone Protestant leaders to Beijing

This Delegation differed from some earlier groups, in that the Delegation went to Beijing at the invitation of the Chinese Government. This meant that Hong Kong church leaders were able to press for the inclusion of interests which might otherwise not have been able to take part. There was some disappointment in China that at the very last moment, less than an hour before the delegation was due to set off, and 'evangelical' leader decided to withdraw from the delegation. He had been put under considerable pressure by North American Chinese 'Evangelicals', and must have been acutely aware that 60% of the budget for the China Graduate School of Theology, with which he is closely associated, is provided from abroad, mainly from North America.

In 'evangelical' circles there were some fears that the Delegation of Protestant church leaders might see itself as the beginning of Hong Kong's christian participation in a "United Front" organisation. This was not, and did not become the intention. Although one dinner in Beijing was hosted by the United Front, the head of the United Front stayed away, at the request of the Hong Kong delegation, because he is a high government official, and had he attended, the news services would have been required to give a high profile to the event, which was something the Hong Kong delegation did not want.

There is now a feeling abroad in Hong Kong that 'evangelicals' regret his decision to withdraw, because the delegation members did achieve considerable progress through the visit.

They had a three hour meeting with the Head of the Religious Bureau, when they were given an opportunity to describe in some detail the current activities of the churches in Hong Kong. From him they received assurances that there is no intention, on the part of the Beijing Government, to set up a parallel Religious Bureau in Hong Kong after 1997. It was however made clear that the Religious Bureau will continue to be against religious broadcasting into China from outside, mainly because much that has been beamed in over recent years as religious teaching has contained a strong mixture of ideological propaganda.

The Delegation also had a meeting with Ji Pengfei, Chairman of the Hong Kong and Macau office and also a State Councillor, and received from him assurances, subsequently confirmed by the provisions of the Draft Agreement, that religious organisations in China will not interfere with similar organisations in Hong Kong, but that both will relate to each other on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference.

The Delegation could claim three major achievements.

1.

They were able to bring into the open, in discussions with the Chinese Government, worries which had been circulating amongst Hong Kong christians and churches.

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