TNAG-2353-FCO40-3423-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1991 — Page 161

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FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 25120OZ FCO

TELNO 3697

OF 251006Z NOVEMBER 91

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

YRTELNO 2021: LORD CAITHNESS'S VISIT TO HONG KONG AND PUBLIC

MOOD:

SUMMARY

fa

Justy

1. SINCE LORD CAITHNESS'S LAST VISIT TO THE TERRITORY, THE

PUBLIC'S ATTENTION HAS SHIFTED AWAY FROM THE DRAMAS OF CRISES WITH CHINA AND THE EXCITEMENT OF THE FIRST DIRECT ELECTIONS. THERE IS NOW GREATER CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG'S ABILITY TO RESOLVE DIFFERENCES WITH PEKING, AS A RESULT OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) ON THE AIRPORT. AS YET, SO FAR AS THE GENERAL PUBLIC ARE CONCERNED, THIS CONFIDENCE REMAINS LARGELY UNSHAKEN BY THE GROWING CONTROVERSY OVER THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL (CFA). OPTIMISM HAS ALSO BEEN ENCOURAGED BY STEADY IMPROVEMENT IN

ECONOMIC PROSPECTS. PUBLIC CONCERN IS FOCUSED PRINCIPALLY ON A FEW SPECIFIC DOMESTIC ISSUES (E.G. PROPERTY PRICES, INFLATION, LAW AND ORDER AND LABOUR IMPORTATION). SOME UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDS THE FUTURE WORKINGS OF LEGCO, AS THE UNITED DEMOCRATS OF HONG KONG (UDHK) AND OTHERS ARE STILL DEVELOPING THEIR POLICY

POSITIONS AND POLITICAL GROUPINGS. THE RESUMPTION OF COMPULSORY REPATRIATION FOR VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS WAS WIDELY WELCOMED.

RELATIONS WITH CHINA

2. THE HONG KONG PUBLIC AS A WHOLE ARE RELIEVED THAT SOUND WORKING RELATIONS WITH CHINA HAVE BEEN RE-ESTABLISHED AS A RESULT OF THE MOU AND THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA. EXCEPT AMONG RELATIVELY SMALL INTEREST GROUPS, THIS OPTIMISM REMAINS LARGELY UNSHAKEN BY THE INCREASINGLY ACRIMONIOUS CONTROVERSY BEING CREATED BY THE JLG'S AGREEMENT ON THE CFA. PERCEPTIONS COULD WELL CHANGE, HOWEVER, IF CHINESE CRITICISMS OF VARIOUS LEGCO ACTIVITIES, AND OF THE HKG'S FAILURE TO STOP THEM, BECOME MORE PUBLIC AND STRIDENT.

3. A MAJORITY OF LEGCO MEMBERS, SUPPORTED BY THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND MUCH OF THE MEDIA, IS OPPOSED TO ANY FORMULA WHICH WOULD LIMIT THE CFA TO A SINGLE OVERSEAS JUDGE BECAUSE, THEY ALLEGE, SUCH AN ARRANGEMENTS WOULD BREACH THE JOINT DECLARATION. CPG

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