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FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2400
HKB301/1
RECE
OF 010654Z AUGUST 90
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"TRY
2 AUG 1990
TOP COPY Q DIST.?/
INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
44
017436
MDLIAN 9954
hu
INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP
SUMMARY:
1.
THE MEDIA ACCORDED PROMINENT COVERAGE TO FRANCIS MAUDE'S VISIT TO PEKING AND NEWS RELATING TO THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW.
FRANCIS MAUDE
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2. THE MEDIA (25 28.7) ACCORDED PROMINENT COVERAGE TO MR MAUDE'S VISIT TO CHINA. MOST REPORTS PLAYED UP HIS MEETING WITH TOP CHINESE OFFICIALS, INCLUDING LI PENG. MR MAUDE DESCRIBED HIS VISIT TO CHINA AS USEFUL BECAUSE A GOOD ATMOSPHERE HAD BEEN CREATED FOR BRITAIN AND CHINA TO HOLD DISCUSSIONS ON ISSUES RELATING TO THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. HE SAID THAT CLOSE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA WOULD CONTINUE IN THE RUN-UP TO 1997.
3. THE DIRECTOR OF THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S OFFICE OF HK AND MACAU AFFAIRS, CHEN ZIYING, TOLD NEWSMEN THAT MR MAUDE'S VISIT HAD BEEN A SUCCESS AND THAT BOTH SIDES HAD EXCHANGED VIEWS ON ISSUES RELATING TO THE HONG KONG QUESTION. MR CHEN SAID THAT SOME ISSUES HAD BEEN CLEARED UP ALTHOUGH THERE WERE STILL DIFFERENCES OVER OTHER ISSUES. SEVERAL PAPERS (28.7) QUOTED BRITISH SOURCES AS SAYING THAT CHINESE PREMIER LI PENG HAD INDICATED DURING MR MAUDE'S VISIT THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR HONG KONG TO BUILD A REPLACEMENT AIRPORT.
4.
BARONESS DUN WAS QUOTED BY THE MEDIA (28.7) AS SAYING THAT MR MAUDE'S VISIT TO PEKING WAS A GOOD THING BECAUSE IT HAD RE- ESTABLISHED LINKS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA AND CLEARED UP MISUNDERSTANDING. LEGCO MEMBER DR LEONG CHE-HUNG QUOTED MR MAUDE AS SAYING THAT HE SUPPORTED A FASTER PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION BUT THAT BRITAIN COULD ONLY OFFER ITS ASSISTANCE IN THIS AREA WHEN THE 1991
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