UNCLASSIFIED
31
072373
MDLIAN 9304
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1504
OF 08093OZ MAY 90
HK3301/1
REC.
15 MAY 1990
INC
GISTRY
cuon Taken
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO GENEVA INFO ROUTINE HKGO SAN FRANCISCO
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HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP
SUMMARY
2.
1. THERE WAS LITTLE REPORTING ON NEWS RELATING TO THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW. HOWEVER, REMARKS BY THE NCNA HK DIRECTOR, ZHOU NAN, ON ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS'' WERE PROMINENTLY REPORTED IN THE MEDIA.
**ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS''
2. ZHOU SAID IF HONG KONG WAS TO REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR 50 YEARS, THE SOCIALIST SYSTEM IN CHINA MUST ALSO BE MAINTAINED WITHOUT ALTERATIONS. IF CHINA CHANGED ITS SOCIALIST SYSTEM, THERE WAS NO POINT TALKING ABOUT NO CHANGE FOR HONG KONG FOR 50 YEARS, THE MEDIA (2.5) REPORTED IN GOOD COVERAGE. REFERRING TO THE POLICY OF **ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS'', ZHOU SAID THAT THE CONCEPT OF ''TWO SYSTEMS' SHOULD COME UNDER THE PRINCIPLE OF ONE COUNTRY''. WHEN ONE MENTIONED NO CHANGE, ONE MEANT THAT NO CHANGE SHOULD BE MADE TO EITHER SYSTEM. THE GOVERNOR DECLINED TO COMMENT ON ZHOU'S REMARKS, SOME PAPERS (4.5) REPORTED. HE SAID THAT THE JOINT DECLARATION HAD PROVIDED THAT HONG KONG WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR 50 YEARS AFTER 1997.
3. LEGCO MEMBERS REACTED WITH A MIXTURE OF CONFUSION AND CAUTION TO ZHOU'S REMARKS WITH MANY OF THEM SAYING THAT HIS REMARKS WERE NOT LOGICAL. THREE COMMENTATORS IN THE CHINESE PRESS BELIEVED THAT THE REMARKS WERE MADE TO SERVE AS A WARNING AGAINST ANY ATTEMPT BY HONG KONG PEOPLE TO OVERTHROW THE PRESENT REGIME IN CHINA. THEY SAID THAT THE REMARKS WAS NOT IN LINE WITH THE BASIC LAW.
FUTURE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
4. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE UNITED DEMOCRATS OF HONG KONG, LEGCO MEMBER MARTIN LEE, SAID THAT IT WAS TIME FOR THE US TO DEVELOP A SEPARATE POLICY TOWARDS HK, THE MEDIA (8.5) REPORTED. LEE SAID THAT HE DID
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