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(CORRECTED VERSION ADDRESSEE) TOP COPY
OF 040604Z AUGUST 92
HCD
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, KUALA LUMPUR
INFO IMMEDIATE ACTOR
DIST?
R
0718
YOUR VISIT TO HONG KONG AND KUALA LUMPUR: AUSTRALIAN MEDIA REACTION
SUMMARY
OFFENSIVE EDITORIAL ON HBMG'S POLICY ON HONG KONG AND ON YOUR REMARKS ABOUT EAST ASIAN ECONOMIC CAUCUS (EAEC). BARBED COMMENTS ON EC/GATT. REBUTTAL RECOMMENDED.
DETAIL 2.
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THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN' (2 AUGUST) CARRIED AN OFFENSIVE AND TENDENTIOUS EDITORIAL CRITICAL OF HBMG'S POLICY ON HONG KONG AND OF YOUR RECENT REMARKS ON EAEC IN KUALA LUMPUR. FULL TEXT BY FAX TO SPD, NEWS DEPT AND HONG KONG.
HONG KONG
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THE EDITORIAL ASSERTS THAT YOU HAD DONE NOTHING IN HONG KONG TO SUGGEST THAT BRITAIN WOULD REVERSE THE POLICY OF NOT INTRODUCING ''FULL-BLOODED DEMOCRACY'' BEFORE 1997. YOU HAD DISPLAYED BOTH AN ''INDIFFERENCE TO THE TERMS OF THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT IN WHICH IT WAS STIPULATED THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WOULD RUN THEIR OWN AFFAIRS AS WELL AS A TIN EAR FOR THE NUANCES OF THE REGION.'' THE EDITORIAL CONTINUED THAT IF BRITAIN CANNOT PROTECT THEIR (IE, HONG KONG PEOPLE'S) INTERESTS, IT SHOULD AT LEAST GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO DO SO THEMSELVES.'' YOUR STRESS ON THE CONTINUITY OF BRITISH POLICY TOWARDS HONG KONG INDICATED THAT ''BRITAIN WOULD DO NOTHING OF WHICH BEIJING DISAPPROVES.''
EAEC
4. THE LEADER WAS ALSO CRITICAL OF YOUR COMMENTS IN KUALA LUMPUR ABOUT EAEC. ''MR HURD MUST KNOW THAT THE IDEA OF AN EAEC HAS BEEN TREATED WITH EXTREME CAUTION WITHIN REGIONAL CAPITALS AND WITH DOWNRIGHT HOSTILITY IN WASHINGTON, JAKARTA AND CANBERRA'' BECAUSE IT WAS SEEN AS A DIVISIVE GROUPING WHICH IGNORED THE FACT THAT MOST NORTH EAST AND SOUTH EAST ASIAN ECONOMIES WERE HEAVILY DEPENDENT FOR THEIR PROSPERITY ON THE AMERICAN MARKET, WHICH, ALONG WITH AUSTRALIA, THE EAEC EXCLUDED.
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