Peking hints at talks start-point

Press, 11 July 1983, Page 11

Peking hints at talks start-point

NZPA-Reuter Hong Kong

China’s leading statesman, Deng Xiaoping, has indicated that the basis for talks on Hong Kong might be administrative arrangements after 1997 rather than sovereignty, says a proPeking magazine published in the colony. The July issue of the “Mirror” quotes Mr Deng as saying that if those arrangments were taken as the starting point the difficult issue of sovereignty could be avoided.

The usually reliable magazine said that he had made the remarks to Hong Kong and Macao delegates to the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. 1

He had met the delegates five days before Peking and London announced that a second phase of talks on Hong Kong’s future would start tomorrow. Britain’s lease on most of

the colony will expire in 1997. The “Mirror” said that Mr Deng had made it clear China should allow Britian a way out of the sovereignty problem, and if agreement could be reached on administration there would be little left to say about sovereignty.

The magazine said that Britain had wanted to extend the lease but that Mr Deng had refused, because he did not want to be regarded as another Li Hungzhang, an offical of the Qing Dynasty who negotiated what China now regards as unequal treaties with foreign powers. Mr Deng had repeated that Peking wanted the people of Hong Kong to govern themselves after 1997, the “Mirror” said. The Chinese Government was prepared to help Hong Kong’s economy and the Bank of China would raise funds for rail and road projects, Mr Deng was quoted as saying. The “Mirror” said that some delegates had suggested that China give assurances it would not change Hong Kong’s administrative system for up to 75 years after 1997. The magazine said that Peking might be willing to give such an assurance for a 50-vear term.