U.K. accepts China’s claim to colony — report

Press, 1 July 1983, Page 6

U.K. accepts China’s claim to colony — report

NZPA-Reuter Hong Kong Britain has indirectly acknowledged China’s sovereignty over Hong Kong and that has enabled London and Peking to begin substantive talks on the colony’s future, says a leading magazine based in Hong Kong.

The “Far Eastern Economic Review” says that the atmosphere surrounding the talks improved after the British Prime Minister, Mrs Margaret Thatcher, sent a personal letter to the Chinese leader, Deng Xiaoping, “which indirectly acknowledged China’s sovereignty over the colony.” The report came only hours after the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, told the House

of Commons that there were grounds for confidence that the outcome of the talks would be satisfactory to Britain, China and the people of Hong Kong. Most of the colony is held by Britain under a lease which will expire in 1997. The rest, consisting of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, was granted to Britain in perpetuity under ninteenth century treaties. Mrs Thatcher shook the people of Hong Kong last year when she said that Britain still regarded these treaties as valid, while China has said that it intends to regain sovereignty over the whole colony by 1997.

The “Review’s” report also came only days before

the Governor, Sir Edward Youde, goes to London with nine members of the Executive Council for talks with Mrs Thatcher and British Ministers. These discussions are scheduled to begin on July 4.

The “Review” said that Britain and China were increasingly confident of an agreement that would safeguard the territory’s continued stability and prosperity. A joint statement was expected shortly. The magazine said that until Mrs Thatcher wrote to Mr Deng the talks had been bogged down, China insisting that Britain concede sovereignty before the two sides dealt with the issue of how Hong Kong should be administered.