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261739Z NOV
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TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER NFR
OF 261739Z NOVEMBER 85
HKK 0400
RECEIVED REGISTRY
40
INFO TELELETTER HONG KONG, PEKING
2 8 NOV 1985
FROM:
DE LYSCOM, BONN
PKETAY
nan Pabela
M
من
FOLLOWING FOR: W EHRMAN ESQ HKD, JFCO
COPIED TO:
CHANCERY HONG KONG, PEKING
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
1. YOU MIGHT WISH TO BE AWARE THAT THE ''WARNING'' BY XU JIATUN, HEAD OF THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY, TO HMG NOT DRASTICALLY TO CHANGE THE INTERNAL POLITICAL SYSTEM OF HONG KONG BEFORE 1997 HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE GERMAN PRESS ALONG LINES VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE IN
THE BRITISH PRESS.
2. DIE WELT HAS A REPORT BY JOCHEN HEHN, DATELINED HONG KONG, HEADED HONG KONG: CONCERN ABOUT PEKING'S WARNING''. IT NOTES THAT PEKING'S LINE PUTS HMG INTO A DIFFICULT POSITION. IF THEY STOP THE DEMOCRATISATION PROCESS IN RESPONSE TO PRESSURE FROM PEKING THEY WILL LOSE AUTHORITY AND AWAKEN FEARS IN HONG KONG THAT THE GOVERNOR IS MERELY A CARETAKER UNTIL THE CHINESE TAKE OVER FULLY. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES THAT THE ONLY VICTIMS IN THIS AFFAIR ARE THE HONG KONG PEOPLE THEMSELVES WHO FACE A LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN THEIR FUTURE.
3. HANDELSBLATT, DATELINED HONG KONG, 25 NOVEMBER, REPORTS IN A SIMILAR VEIN, BUT STRESSES THE EFFECT XU JIATUN'S PRESS CONFERENCE HAS HAD ON THE STOCK MARKET. HANDELSBLATT ALSO NOTES THAT EVEN THE BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE HAS FELT THE NEED TO COMMENT AND THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS LET IT KNOWN THAT HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT XU JIATUN WAS ALLUDING TO IN HIS REMARKS.
SIGNED D E LYSCOM
YYYY
BPLNAN 0784
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