GRS 1400
Copfidential
*AMMENDED CIST 30%,
30/1 C
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 362
OF 280935Z JANUARY 87
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
02011
CEED IN REGISTRY 0 3 FEB 1987
17
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
'n Taken
8
MY TELNO 216: RESIGNATION OF HU YAOBANG: HONG KONG "REACTIONS
SUMMARY
1. THE DIVISION OF VIEWS AS REPORTED IN TUR CONTINUES: MANY HAVE EXPRESSED WORRIES, SOME OVER THE POSSIBLE IMPACT ON THE POLITICAL REVIEW, BUT OTHERS (NOTABLY THOSE WITH LEFT-WING CONNECTIONS) ARE MORE REASSURING. THERE IS A STRONG ELEMENT OF CONCERN AND INITIAL
FEEDBACK FROM DISTRICT OFFICES IS FARILY GLOOMY.
NEWS COVERAGE:
2. XU JIATUN ADDRESSED THE LOCAL CONSULAR CORPS ON 20 JANUARY IN A SPEECH WELL-COVERED BY THE PRESS. XU STRESSED THAT RECENT
DEVELOPMENTS IN CHINA WOULD NOT (NOT) AFFECT HK IN THE LONGRUN. RESPONDING TO SUGGESTIONS THAT HK PEOPLE HAD LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE ''ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS CONCEPT FOLLOWING HU'S RESIGNATION, XU SAID TIME WOULD SHOW THAT SUCH THINKING WAS NOT BORNE OUT BY THE FACTS. XU ALSO STRESSED HK'S CONTINUING IMPORTANCE TO CHINA'S MODERNISATION DRIVE AND CHINA'S DETERMINATION FULLY TO IMPLEMENT THE JD AND MAINTAIN STABILITY AND POSPERITY IN HK. IN THE AFTERNOON FOLLOWING XU'S SPEECH THE HANG SENG INDEX ROSE AGAIN TO RECOVER MOST OF THE DAY'S EARLIER LOSSES. MANY COMMENTATORS ATTRIBUTED THIS TO XU'S REASSURING REMARKS. XU DISCOUNTED THIS ON 21 JANUARY AS HE DEPARTED FOR PEKING. AND INDEED THERE ARE OTHER, ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL, EXPLANATIONS.
3. ON 21 JANUARY MING PAO REPORTED FROM PEKING QUOTING SOURCES AS SAYING THAT VICE PREMIER WAN LI HAD EMERGED AS THE MOST LIKELY CANDIDATE TO REPLACE ZHAO ZIYANG AS PM. (OTHER REPORTS INDICATE THAT MONEY IS FAIRLY EVENLY SPREAD BETWEEN LI PENG AND TIAN JIYUN, WITH LI RUIHUAN AS AN OUTSIDER). THERE WERE ALSO REPORTS THAT HU MIGHT REPLACE DENG YINGCHAO AS CHAIRMAN OF THE CPPCC, OR THAT HE MIGHT REPLACE LI XIANNIAN AS PRESIDENT.
4.
PAPERS ON 22 JANUARY REPORTED THE CHINESE MFA SPOKESMAN MA YUZHAN ALSO AS SAYING THAT CHANGES IN THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP WOULD NOT (NOT) AFFECT CHINA'S OPEN DOOR POLICY AND ECONOMIC REFORMS, NOR CHINA'S POLICY TOWARDS HK. WANG GUANGYING (OF
Confidential
LEVERBRIGHT
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.