TNAG-2493-FCO40-3625-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1992 — Page 20

UNCLASSIFIED

HKC 012/4

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FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2732

OF 190945Z NOV 92

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

066160

MDLIAN 6382

*F

p

Chinese

reactions

ش

OUR TELNO 2724: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: CHINESE TACTICS: PRESS REPORTS.

FURTHER TO TUR THE LOCAL MEDIA TODAY (19 NOVEMBER) CARRIED ANOTHER REPORT ABOUT LATEST CHINESE STRATEGY.

2.

WAH KIU YAT PO REPORTED THAT A THREE-PRONGED APPROACH HAD BEEN WORKED OUT BY THE CENTRAL AUTHORITIES RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS:

(I)

TO PROPOSE AT THE NEXT NPC MEETING IN MARCH 1993 EARLY PREPARATIONS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE.

(II)

TO MINIMISE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE ECONOMIC RELIANCE ON HONG

KONG: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE PEARL RIVER DELTA TO BE SPEEDED UP AND CONTROL ON THE SETTING UP OF OFFICES OR SUBSIDIARIES BY MAINLAND ENTERPRISES IN HONG KONG TIGHTENED SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT GET

TOO INVOLVED IN THE HONG KONG ECONOMY.

(III)

CHINESE LEADERS HAD DECIDED TO DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE

FOREIGN SECRETARY, INSTEAD OF THE GOVERNOR, IN NEGOTIATIONS ON HONG

KONG'S CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

3

INTERNATIONAL CARD

REFERRING TO THE SUPPORT FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES TO THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS, THE LEFT-WING PRESS TODAY ACCUSED THE GOVERNOR

OF PLAYING THE INTERNATIONAL CARD. TA KUNG PAO IN ITS EDITORIAL SAID THAT BY SEEKING INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT TO HIS PROPOSALS, THE GOVERNOR HAD VIOLATED THE SPIRIT OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND PRINCIPLES OF

INTERNATINAL LAW. EVEN THE FOREIGN SANCTIONS AGAINST CHINA AFTER THE

JUNE 1989 EVENTS HAD NOT DONE ANY HARM TO CHINA. INDEED CHINA HAD

FLOURISHED SINCE THEN. THE ONLY CHOICE FOR THE GOVERNOR WAS TO

DISCARD

HIS PROPOSALS AND RETURN TO THE TRACK OF THE JD AND CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASIC LAW. COMMENTARIES IN TA KUNG PAO AND WEN WEI PO PLAYED UP

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