TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 236

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 754

OF 140645Z MAY 93

ph. Press Roundups

照

UNCLASSIFIED

HKB 301/2

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

17 MAY 1993

REGISTRY

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

INFO PRIORITY PEKING UKREP JLG HONG KONG

056225

MDLIAN 2962

TOP COPY

Q DIST?

(22)

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORTS

LU PING

1. THE PAPERS TODAY (14 MAY) CARRIED PROMINENTLY LU PING'S REMARKS ON THE ''INTERNATIONALISATION OF THE HONG KONG QUESTION MADE DURING HIS VISIT TO MACAU YESTERDAY. LEFT-WING PAPERS PLAYED UP LU'S REMARKS THAT THE INTERNATIONALISATION OF THE HONG KONG QUESTION WOULD MAKE THE TALKS ON THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS MORE DIFFICULT.

2. ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, LU PING SAID THAT THE VALUE OF HONG KONG LIED IN ITS ECONOMIC VALUE. HONG KONG SHOULD MAINTAIN ITS STATUS AS AN INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL, TRADE AND SHIPPING CENTRE. BUT IT SHOULD UNDER NOT CIRCUMSTANCES BECOME A POLITICAL CENTRE, LET ALONE A INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL CENTRE. SHOULD HONG KONG BECOME AN ARENA FOR VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL FORCES, IT WOULD ONLY BRING DISASTERS TO THE SIX MILLION HONG KONG PEOPLE. HE SAID HE DID NOT AGREE WITH SUGGESTIONS THAT THE MORE HONG KONG ISSUES WERE INTERNATIONALISED, THE BETTER IT WOULD BE, ADDING THAT INTERNATIONALISATION WOULD BRING GRAVE MISFORTUNE TO

HONG KONG,

LADY THATCHER'S MEETING WITH ZHOU NAN

3.

THE PAPERS GAVE A GOOD RUN TO LADY THATCHER'S ONE-HOUR MEETING WITH ZHOU NAN YESTERDAY. LADY THATCHER WAS QUOTED AS SPEAKING AFTER THE MEETING THAT SHE HAD EXCHANGED VIEWS WITH ZHOU: BOTH WERE HAPPY ABOUT THE RE-OPENING OF TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES AND HOPED THAT THE TALKS COULD COME TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION. REPLYING IN ENGLISH ZHOU SAID HE CONCURRED WITH LADY THATCHER'S REMARKS.

SOURCES

4. HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL QUOTED AUTHORITATIVE SOURCES IN LONDON'S DIPLOMATIC CIRCLES AS SAYING THAT THE EXTENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY AND DIFFICULTY IN THE CURRENT TALKS WAS RARELY SEEN IN BRITISH DIPLOMATIC HISTORY. NO HEADWAY HAD BEEN MADE DURING THE FIRST

PAGE

1

UNCLASSIFIED