TNAG-2781-FCO40-4000-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1993 — Page 35

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FM PEKING

TO DESKBY 30130OZ FCO

TELNO 1331

OF 301226Z SEPTEMBER 93

AND TO DESKBY 30130OZ UKMIS NEW YORK

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREPJEG HONG KONG

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93

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UKMIS NEW YORK FOR SECRETARY OF STATE'S PARTY

HONG KONG: SPEECH BY LI PENG

1.

Premier Li Peng's speech at his National Day reception on the evening of 30 September included the following passage on Hong Kong:-

The date for our resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong is approaching and we must start right away the preparatory work which is enormous. At present the talks between the representatives of the governments of China and the United Kingdom are under way. We hope that the talks will yield positive results on the basis of Sino-British Joint Declaration, the principle of convergence with the Basic Law and the understandings and agreements already reached between China and Britain.

No matter what will happen, the Chinese Government and people have the ability to recover its sovereignty over Hong Kong and ensure the Long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. The recently publicised important remarks made by Comrade Deng Xiaoping on the question of Hong Kong fully demonstrate our determination to do that.

COMMENT

2.

From memory, this is a longer passage than the one in last

The bulk of year's speech and couched in somewhat stronger terms. it is on familiar lines but the reference to Deng's remarks to Lady Thatcher in 1982, published in the mainland press on 24 September, is the first from a senior leader. (Li raised his voice for this

and won sentence - about the only time he became at all animated - dutiful applause). The sentence about the need to start preparations for the takeover now is also new at this level. implication is that these preparations will be unilateral.

The

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