GRS 380
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESK BY 15090OZ FCO
TELNO 172
OF 15082OZ JANUARY 87
CONFIDENTIAL
OFFICE LONDON
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFI
20
29
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
HKA 400T
RIVED IN REGISTRY
14 JAN 1987
NK OF FICUR
REGISTRY
PA
Action Teken
YOUR TELNO 102: APPOINTMENT OF NEW GOVERNOR : MEDIA ARRANGEMENTS
1. THE DOMINANT STORY TODAY WAS THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CLEARANCE OF THE KOWLOON WALLED CITY. THE MAIN ANGLES EMERGING FROM THE REPORTS WERE AS FOLLOWS:
(A) THE CHINESE MFA AND THE LOCAL NCNA EXPRESSED UNDERSTANDING OF
THE HKG'S DECISION AND SAID IT WAS IN THE INTERESTS OF THE
PEOPLE OF HK.
(B) THE DECISION TO RETURN THE WALLED CITY SITE INTO A PARK WAS
DESIGNED TO AVOID THE QUESTION OF SOVEREIGNTY. (COMMENT: THIS WAS THE INTERPRETATION PLACED ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY SOME
NEWSPAPERS THEMSELVES.)
(C)
(D)
(E)
THE CLEARANCE WOULD END THE CENTURY-OLD PROBLEM OF THE WALLED CITY, WHICH HAD BEEN DESCRIBED AS A NO MAN'S LAND'. SOME PAPERS SAID A HKG SPOKESMAN HAD CONFIRMED THAT HK LAWS WOULD BECOME APPLICABLE TO THE WALLED CITY AS FROM YESTERDAY. (COMMENT: THE LATTER POINT WAS AN UNFORTUNATE TWIST OF AN ANSWER GIVEN BY DIS AT A BACKGROUND PRESS BRIEFING YESTERDAY, TO THE EFFECT THAT ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES IN THE WALLED CITY. WOULD BE DEALT WITH IN ACCORDANCE WITH HK LAW.)
THE REACTION FROM WALLED CITY RESIDENTS RANGED FROM SHOCK TO DELIGHT AND FROM CONCERN TO RESIGNATION. THE OVERALL MOOD WAS CALM AND CO-OPERATIVE. THERE WAS LITTLE RESISTANCE AND
NO INCIDENT.
MORE THAN TEN PAPERS COMMENTED ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN THEIR EDITORIALS. THEY GENERALLY WELCOMED THE MOVE.
CONFIDENTIAL
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