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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, MAY 4, 1984
PAGE 9
The INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE, in its April 21-22 weekend edition,
summarizes the British concession as follows:
Sir Geoffrey Howe, Britain's foreign secretary, Friday became the
first British official to state publicly that his country would
relinquish sovereignty and administrative powers over Hong Kong
to China in 1997 without retaining an offical presence in the
colony.
nit is right for me to tell you that it would not be realistic to
think of an agreement that provides for continued British
administration in Hong Kong after 1997, n he said at a press
conference after talks in Beijing. Sir Geoffrey's comments about
a British presence were not a surprise, yet they marked a turning
point in the history of the colony.
Since September 1982 British and Chinese officials have been
negotiating an agreement on exactly how and when the exchange of
power would take place.
The indications are that Britain at
first pushed to retain a role in Hong Kong's administration after
returning sovereignty to China. Sir Geoffrey's comments Friday
confirmed that this was not to be. The comments were certain to
raise tension in Hong Kong despite Sir Geoffrey's assurances that
Britain would press Beijing to guarantee the colony significant
autonomy under Communist rule••••
China has said it intends to nbasically
n
retain Hong Kong's pre
sent system for at least 50 years after 1997, and Sir Geoffrey
took note of this in his remarks.
Nervous Hong Kong financiers have been steadily sending their money outside
the colony making considerable investments in the United States, Singapore
and elsewhere. In fact, the independent island-nation of Singapore stands
to benefit the most from the financial exit. Should there be a human exit,
it is widely believed that the maJor1ty of those leaving would try to come
to (where else)· the United States.
Middle East: As U.S. Prestige Fades, Soviets Move In
The announcement this week that the Soviet Union was selling $2.5 billion
worth of arms to Iraq--the weapons to be paid for by Saudi Arabia--reflects
once again the dearth of U.S. prestige in the Middle East and the
strengthened position of the Soviet Union. At the same time, the Saudis
have threatened to purchase all their own weaponry from the Soviet Union,
Britain and France if the United States continues to hamper arms sales to
them or if Washington moves its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The embassy move issue is a highly evocative one--even the Israelis are not
forcing the U.S. hard on it--but is gaining support in both chambers of the
U.S. Congress. The Saudi ambassador to Washington warns that should the
U.S. move its embassy "it would affect one billion Moslems around the world
like you have never seen before.n
The following report from the SUNDAY TIMES of Britain shows how Russia is
making a Middle East comeback at America's expense: