CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 04103OZ F C O
TELNO 1292
OF 040908Z JULY 89
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 020/6
TOP COPY Q DIST?
87
071316 MDHIAN 1854
INFO DESKBY 04103OZ HONG KONG, JSIS HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
SIC U2B
DESKBY 04103OZ JSIS HONG KONG.
HONG KONG FOR POLITICAL ADVISER AND GOVERNOR.
1. ON MY RETURN TO PEKING FROM HONG KONG ON AIR CHINA ON 3 JULY I SAT NEXT TO ZHU GUI YU, DIRECTOR OF THE VISA OFFICE OF THE MFA OF CHINA IN HONG KONG. IN THE COURSE OF THE CONVERSATION HE TOLD
ME THAT HE WAS OF AMBASSADORIAL RANK AND WAS RETURNING TO PEKING FOR THE AMBASSADOR'S CONFERENCE DUE TO TAKE PLACE SHORTLY.
2. AS HE SEEMED INCLINED TO TALK, IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS AND HONG KONG.
•
I DESCRIBED THE SHOCK FELT IN HONG KONG AFTER THE EVENTS IN PEKING OF 3/4 JUNE. I SAID THAT ORDINARY PEOPLE FELT THAT IF THE CHINESE ARMY HAD BEEN BROUGHT OUT AGAINST UNARMED CIVILIANS IN PEKING THERE WAS LITTLE CONFIDENCE THAT IT MIGHT NOT BE USED AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AFTER 1997. ZHU SAID THAT HE WAS WELL AWARE OF PUBLIC CONCERN IN HONG KONG. HE MENTIONED A SPEECH MADE IN HONG KONG ON 2 JULY BY A CERTAIN MR. LUO OR LO (WHOM I COULD NOT IDENTIFY) BUT
HE WENT ON TO AIR THE THEMES USED BY JI PENGFEI AND MOST RECENTLY BY GUO FENGMIN TO ME ON 30 JUNE. THE BURDEN OF HIS MESSAGE WAS THAT CHINA'S POLICIES TOWARDS MACAO AND HONG KONG WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED. THE CHINESE HAD CONSISTENTLY UPHELD THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS' AND WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD NO INTENTION OF CHANGING HONG KONG'S
CAPITALIST SYSTEM AND WOULD NOT INTERFERE IN HONG KONG'S AFFAIRS. ON THE OTHER HAND, HONG KONG SHOULD NOT ALLOW PEOPLE THERE TO ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE SOCIALIST SYSTEM OF THE MAINLAND. I SAID THAT ONE OF THE FEATURES OF THE CAPITALIST SOCIETY IN HONG KONG WAS THAT FREEDOM OF SPEECH WENT WITH FREEDOM OF ENTERPRISE. ZHU REPLIED THAT NO-ONE ON THE MAINLAND OBJECTED TO EXPRESSIONS OF OPINION OR SUGGESTIONS, EVEN THOSE THAT WERE ANTI-SOCIALIST. BUT IT WAS QUITE ANOTHER MATTER IF HONG KONG WERE TO ALLOW ACTIONS DIRECTED AT SUBVERTING THE STABILITY OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF
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