CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1899
OF 151051Z JUNE 90
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO SAVING SHANGHAI
B/7
theB 026/27
86
041274
MDLIAN 9192
д
VISIT TO HONG KONG BY THE MAYOR OF SHANGHAI, ZHU RONGJI, 8 JUNE
SUMMARY
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15
1. A SUCCESSFUL WEEK-LONG VISIT TO HONG KONG BY THE MAYOR OF SHANGHAI. IT SHOWED THE PRE-4 JUNE FACE OF CHINA AND, AS SUCH, HAS GIVEN A BOOST TO PEOPLE'S SPIRITS HERE. ZHU IMPRESSED AS AN ABLE MAN AND A SKILFUL POLITICIAN. HIS PUBLIC COMMENTS UNDERLINED, IF IT WERE EVER IN ANY DOUBT, THE CONSIDERABLY DIFFERING ATTITUDE TOWARDS HONG KONG OF LEADERS OF THE COASTAL PROVINCES FROM THAT OF THE PEKING LEADERSHIP.
DETAIL
2.
THE AIM OF ZHU RONGJI'S MISSION WAS ECONOMIC. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY FORMER MAYOR WANG DAOHAN AND HIS FOREIGN AFFAIRS ADVISER LI CHUWEN (EX NCNA).
3. THE MAIN ITEM OF THE VISIT WAS A HALF-DAY SEMINAR ON THE
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN SHANGHAI'S NEW PUDONG DEVELOPMENT ZONE. I
GAVE A DINNER IN HIS HONOUR AND HE HELD A MEETING WITHT HE ACTING CHIEF SECRETARY. HE TOURED THE HARBOUR, SAW THE CONTAINER PORT AND VISITED OUR PUBLIC HOUSING AND THE STOCK EXCHANGE. HE WAS WINED AND DINED BY ALL THE GREAT AND GOOD OF HONG KONG.
4.
ZHU MADE CLEAR DURING HIS MANY MEETINGS THAT HE WAS NOT EXPECTING IMMEDIATE SPECTACULAR RESULTS IN TERMS OF CONTRACTS AND INVESTMENT FROM HONG KONG. PUDONG WILL ENJOY CONDITIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF CHINA'S 4 SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES, AND WILL IN ADDITION HAVE A FREE TRADE AREA WITHIN IT. HONG KONG IS ALREADY SHANGHAI'S LARGEST TRADING PARTNER AND THE LARGEST EXTERNAL INVESTOR IN THE CITY. BUT THE NOTED BUREAUCRACY OF SHANGHAI, DESPITE THE MAYOR'S OWN EFFORTS TO REDUCE IT, THE LIMITATIONS OF PUDONG AS A PORT, GIVEN ITS SHALLOW WATER, AND THE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT FUTURE ECONOMIC
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