TNAG-1870-FCO40-2658-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau.-With-map-1989 — Page 107

FE/0592 A3/1

A. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

3. FAR EASTERN RELATIONS

20 Oct 89

CHINA ATTACKS BRITAIN'S “UNILATERAL” DECISION ON HONGKONG'S TAMAR NAVAL BASE

Xinhua in English 1241 gmt 18 Oct 89

Text of report

The British government has no right to make a unilateral decision on handling the issue related to the HMS Tamar naval base and other British military installations in Hongkong now, Ke Zaishuo, Chinese senior representative of the Sino- British Joint Liaison Group, told Xinhua here today [Hongkong, 18th October] It is the Chinese side's persistent stand that the above-mentioned issue should be settled through discussion by the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group, he said.

Ke said the issue is referred to the arrangement of the Chinese PLA to be stationed in Hongkong after 1997. So far, he noted, both sides, China and Britain, still have not reached unanimous views on this issue though they discussed it on many occasions within the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group.

Ke said the Chinese side has always taken a co-operative attitude towards the issue, earnestly holding consultations with the British side. However, he said, the British side unilaterally announced the decision in public on this outstanding issue in an attempt to make it an accomplished fact and force China to recognise it. "This is something we cannot accept," he added.

'WEN WEI PO' CONTRASTS BRITAIN'S ATTITUDE OVER HONGKONG WITH PORTUGAL'S ATTITUDE OVER MACAO

Hongkong 'Wen Wei Po' in Chinese 19 Oct 89

Excerpts from editorial, "Different approaches taken by Britain and Portugal result in different situations in Hongkong and Macao"

Recently a number of abnormal situations have cropped up in Sino-British relations on the question of Hongkong. People have different comments on which side is to blame. On this point Xu Jiatun, director of the Hongkong branch of Xinhua, sincerely pointed out that he who tied the bell on the tiger should take it off. The British side is a key factor that has caused and will help settle recent occurrences.

In expressing these views the Chinese side is not putting the blame on Britain. Some people still keep asserting that recent occurrences in Hongkong have been triggered off by the serious impact of the Peking 4th June incident on the Hongkong people's confidence. Therefore the Chinese government should take measures to solve the problem. This seemingly right comment will not lead to the settlement of the problem. As a matter of fact, there is no reason for the

Hongkong people's confidence to cause tension and deterioration in Sino-British relations. On the contrary, Sino- British relations should be more friendly and co-operative so as to diminish the negative influence on the Hongkong people's confidence...

Obviously, recent occurrences have cropped up irrelevant of the confidence issue but because some people want to take advantage of this issue to play tricks, thinking that by means of a strong attitude they can fish for more political benefit or even regain what they lost during Sino-British talks. This is the key factor that has brought about tension in Sino-British relations...

Hongkong and Macao have similar conditions, but why is it that such a striking contrast has occurred in their relations with China? Why are their political atmospheres different? This is not because the Chinese government treats Macao warmly and Hongkong coldly, but because the Portuguese Macao government and the British Hongkong government have taken different attitudes and policies toward co-operation with China.

Since June this year Britain has unilaterally stopped the normal work of the Sino-British joint Liaison Group and openly assumed the posture of non-co-operation. Subsequently the "Wiggham affair" took place. As a British official, he talked in public about the basic law and the stationing of troops, thus changing his previous attitude of not meddling in China's affairs. Newly appointed British Foreign Secretary John Major has asserted time and again that he will use hard- line diplomacy to deal with China. At a recent UN General Assembly session he unilaterally announced the speeding up of political structural reform, thereby changing his previous attitude of converging with the Basic Law. After this the "Yang Yang affair" broke out, which is known to all. Now the "Tamar naval base affair" has been whipped up regardless of consultations being held by the joint liaisonn group. Along with the strong attitude taken by the British side, all sorts of political forces hostile to the Chinese government are allowed to engage in open activities in Hongkong. These attitudes and trends have gone beyond the confidence issue and indicate that Britain has changed its original stand of maintaining friendly co-operation with China and Hongkong's stability.

The Chinese government has not changed its principles and policies on Hongkong just because of the occurrence of one internal incident, nor has it changed its basic attitude of developing friendly co-operation with Britain. The current problems have resulted from a change in Britain's principles and policies toward China. With these unfavourable factors, a number of affairs have taken place in which feelings of confrontation have been incited to a maximum to undermine the friendly co-operation between China and Britain, which has taken shape and developed for years. If this political wind continues to blow, it will be hard for the situation to remain calm.