CONFIDENTIAL
040542
MDHIAI 4987
DEMONSTRATIONS ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF 3/4 JUNE WERE NOT NECESSARILY EVIDENCE OF A GROWING TIDE OF ANTI-CHINA FEELING. IF PEOPLE ACTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW THEY WOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO SO, BUT IF THEIR ACTIVITIES BROKE THE LAW THEN THE HONG KONG POLICE WOULD ACT. THERE HAD BEEN COMMENTS IN THE HONG KONG PRESS THAT THE POLICE ACTION TO PROTECT ACCESS TO NCNA HAD BEEN TOO RESTRICTIVE AND HAD INFRINGED PEOPLE'S LIBERTIES. I URGED JIANG TO PLACE MORE RELIANCE ON WHAT THE POLITICAL ADVISER HAD SAID DIRECTLY TO NCNA, THAN ON NEWSPAPER REPORTS WHICH MIGHT BE DISTORTED. I HAD NOT SEEN THE NEWSPAPER REPORTS WHICH JIANG HAD MENTIONED, BUT WE WOULD CHECK AND MIGHT REVERT LATER. I COULD ASSURE JIANG THAT HMG AND HKG WERE WELL AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF NCNA AND ITS SPECIAL NATURE, AND WOULD DO WHAT WAS NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE PERSONNEL AND PROPERTY OF NCNA.
4.
JIANG REITERATED THAT THE SHOOTING INCIDENT AT THE NEW NCNA BUILDING HAD TAKEN PLACE AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF A GROWING TIDE OF ANTI-CHINA ACTIVITIES. A SERIES OF ANTI-CHINA ACTIVITIES HAD TAKEN PLACE IN HONG KONG RECENTLY. JIANG BELIEVED THAT HKG COULD DO SOMETHING TO PREVENT SUCH ACTIVITIES IF THEY WANTED TO. THE CHINESE SIDE HOPED THAT HKG WOULD EARNESTLY FULFIL THEIR COMMITMENTS NOT TO ALLOW HONG KONG TO BECOME A BASE FOR SUBVERSION OF THE CP G. HE HAD TAKEN NOTE OF THE ASSURANCES I HAD GIVEN HIM.
5.
I POINTED OUT TO JIANG THAT THE DEMONSTRATIONS WERE NOT THE ONLY RECENT ACTIVITIES IN HONG KONG WITH A BEARING ON HONG KONG/ MAINLAND RELATIONS. THE MAYOR OF SHANGHAI HAD JUST PAID AN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL VISIT DURING WHICH HE HAD RECEIVED A VERY WARM WELCOME. HKG HAD TO OPERATE WITHIN THE LAWS OF HONG KONG. FAILURE TO DO SO WOULD NOT (NOT) BE CONDUCIVE TO STABILITY. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF HKG CONTINUED TO OPERATE WITHIN THE LAWS OF HONG KONG, IN THE LONG TERM THIS TOO WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HONG KONG/MAINLAND RELATIONS.
6.
JIANG CONCLUDED BY EXPRESSING PLEASURE AT THE MAYOR OF SHANGHAI'S SUCCESSFUL VISIT TO HONG KONG. CLOSE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND BRITISH SIDES WOULD ENSURE THE FUTURE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG AND WOULD BE BENEFICIAL
TO ALL CONCERNED.
COATES
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