CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2763
OF 121131Z SEPTEMBER 90
INFO IMMEDIATE
PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
6
004307
MDHIAN 8577
Мив 02614 B026
RECEN IN
TOP COPY
SEP 1990
TRY
Q DIST?
LORD CAITHNESS' VISIT TO HONG KONG: THE PUBLIC MOOD
SUMMARY
1. HONG KONG HAS RECOVERED WELL FROM THE TRAUMA OF EVENTS IN CHINA LAST SUMMER. BUT THERE IS STILL A GREAT DEAL OF NERVOUSNESS NOT FAR BELOW THE SURFACE. THIS IS EXPRESSED MOST OBVIOUSLY IN INCREASED LEVELS OF EMIGRATION, BUT ALSO IN AREAS SUCH AS CIVIL SERVICE PAY DISPUTES. THERE IS CONCERN ABOUT THE SHORT-TERM HEALTH OF THE ECONOMY. FOR THE TIME BEING, THANKFULLY, VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE REGISTER LOW IN PUBLIC ATTENTION.
ATTITUDES TO CHINA
2. A RESIGNED MISTRUST HAS REPLACED THE OPEN BITTERNESS TOWARDS THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP THAT WAS A DOMINANT FEATURE OF THE LOCAL SCENE AFTER 4 JUNE 1989. HONG KONG'S STRONG RESPONSE TO PEKING'S SUPPRESSION OF THE PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT HAS FADED. BUT SUSPICION OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS CONTINUED TO BE FUELLED BY ITS CRITICISM OF HONG KONG AS A BASE FOR SUBVERSION AND THE UNHELPFUL CHINESE APPROACH TO SUCH ISSUES AS THE BASIC LAW, THE BILL OF RIGHTS, THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE AND THE PROPOSED NEW AIRPORT. RECENT INDICATIONS OF A REDUCTION IN THE LEVEL OF CHINESE HOSTILITY AND A WILLINGNESS TO ADOPT A LESS CONFRONTATIONAL ATTITUDE (E.G. DURING MR MAUDE'S VISIT TO PEKING) HAVE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED THE COMMUNITY'S MOOD. BOTH PUBLIC OPINION POLLS, AND OUR OWN SURVEYS OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES, INDICATE THAT PUBLIC CONFIDENCE ABOUT HONG KONG'S FUTURE HAS RECOVERED SLIGHTLY SINCE JUNE LAST YEAR, BUT NOT TO THE SAME LEVEL AS BEFORE THE EVENTS IN PEKING.
3. THE GENERAL VIEW IS THAT THE MAIN ISSUES HAVE NOW BEEN SETTLED AND THAT PEKING HAS PROVIDED CLEAR INDICATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE POST-1997 FUTURE HOLDS FOR HONG KONG. ORDINARY INDIVIDUALS NOW FEEL THAT THEY ARE IN A POSITION TO MAKE REASONED DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR FUTURES. PRIVATE GOALS RATHER THAT COMMUNITY ISSUES HAVE BECOME THE PRINCIPLE CONCERN FOR MANY HONG KONG FAMILIES. FOR SOME, THIS MEANS EMIGRATION: FOR MANY MORE, IT MEANS SECURING
PAGE
1
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.