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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2428
OF 22120OZ JUNE 37
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
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INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, HKGO WASHINGTON INFO ROUTINE HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO BRUSSELS, HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA INFO SAVING HKGO SAN FRANCISCO
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WU XUEQIAN'S VISIT TO HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE
20 UNI737
م .
See39
SUMMARY
1. THE GOVERNOR'S MEETING WITH THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER WU
XUEQIAN ON SATURDAY DURING HIS BRIEF STOPOVER IN HONG KONG HIT THE HEADLINES OVER THE WEEKEND AND TODAY.
NEWS COVERAGE
2. THE NEWS OF THE VISIT BROKE IN THE HONG KONG STANDARD AND ITS SISTER PAPER SING TAO JIH PAO ON 20 JUNE. (AT THE REQUEST OF NCNA
OUR PLAN HAD BEEM TO DELAY AN ANNOUNCEMENT UNTIL IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE MEETINGS) THE STANDARD SAID THAT WU WOULD FLY INTO THE EYE OF A POLITICAL STORM WHEN HE PAID A SURPRISE VISIT TO HONG KONG THAT AFTERNOON. HIS UNSCHEDULED VISIT WAS SEEN TO BE VERY UNUSUAL AND HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE OF HIS SENIORITY AND THE TAMING OF HIS VISIT. ACCORDING TO INFORMED SOURCES, THE PAPER SAID, WU WOULD MEET THE GOVERNOR TO THRASH OUT DIFFERENCES OVER FUTURE POLITICAL REFORMS IN THE TERRITORY. ONE SENSITIVE ONE THAT WAS LIKELY TO SURFACE WAS WHETHER THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS EN 1988 WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION.
3. ON 21 JUNE WU'S VISIT WAS THE FRONT PAGE LEAD IN MOST PAPERS.” MOST REPORTS HIGHLIGHTED THE GOVERNMENT'S STATEMENT TO THE EFFECT THAT THE TRANSIT WAS A PRIVATE ONE, BUT THAT WU HAD TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A COURTESY MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR. TA KUNG PAO AND WEN WEI PO (21 JUNE) CARRIED FACTUAL REPORTS SAYING THAT WU HAD HELD DISCUSSIONS FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF WITH THE GOVERNOR BEFORE GOING ON TO SHENZHEN. THE ORIENTAL DAILY AND HONG KONG DAILY
NEWS NOTED IN THEIR HEADLINES THAT THE TOPICS OF DISCUSSION AT THE MEETING HAD BECOME A FOCUS OF SPECULATION. PAPERS GENERALLY BELIEVED
THAT THE GOVERNOR AND MR WU HAD TOUCHED ON THE SUBJECT OF POLITICAL REFORMS IN HONG KONG.
4. THE SCMP QUOTED NCNA HONG KONG BRANCH DIRECTOR XU JIATUN AS DENYING THAT POLITICAL REFORMS HAD BEEN DISCUSSED AT THE MEETING. BY CONTRAST, AN UNCONFIRMED AGENCE FRANCE PRESS REPORT CARRIED IN
SOME PAPERS SAID THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD TOLD MR WU OF THE GOVERNMENTS ''UNHAPPINESS WITH THE REDCENT COMMENTS ON DIRECT ELECTIONS MADE
BY LI HOU.
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