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BEIJING turned up the heat in the dispute with Britain over constitutional changes for Hong Kong by resurrecting a threat made by patriarch Deng Xiaoping 11 years ago that China might take over the territory before 1997.

  The warning is the central theme of a speech Mr Deng delivered in Beijing to Lady Margaret Thatcher, then British prime minister, on September 24, 1982. The speech was released 11 years to the day after it was given.

  The previously unpublished full text was widely reported in the left-wing media, including state-run television yesterday.

  It was released by Xinhua (the New China News Agency) shortly after the 2000 Olympics vote was known.

  Beijing's unusual move was immediately under fire from the British side.

  Sources claimed it was ''designed to intimidate'' before the resumption of constitutional talks in two days' time and the meeting in New York next Friday between British Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd and Chinese Foreign Minister, Qian Qichen.

  In Beijing, a deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Chen Ziying, explained that the decision to publish the speech now was because that time was becoming more pressing now.

  ''Some of his comments have proven to be very correct and have very meaningful implications to the stable transition of sovereignty,'' he added.

  When asked if the widely-publicised speech signalled a possible breaking down of the talks, Mr Chen said: ''We are concerned with the achievement of a successful result from the talks, but it takes [the efforts of] both sides [to achieve this].''   Outlining China's policy towards Hong Kong and its attitude on the question of sovereignty, the speech states that Beijing might consider an early takeover of the territory if there were major disturbances in Hong Kong in the countdown to 1997.

  A mainland official said it was now ''more unlikely'' that Beijing would make major concessions on a spate of disputes over Hong Kong.

  He said the key message of an ''early takeover'' was emphasised again in the wake of the changes incurred by the ''unco-operative'' attitude of Britain over the 1997 change-over in areas such as democracy talks and civil service.

  ''Its significance is more symbolic that the Chinese Government is determined to do whatever it could to resume its sovereignty over Hong Kong,'' the official said.

  The official, however, conceded that there was no ''substance'' and no ''sense of urgency'' as of now to conclude that ''major disturbances'' have or are about to emerge.

  Governor Chris Patten declined to ''speculate about the motives'' for the left-wing media's report of the 11-year-old speech.

  ''Life's too short for us to get involved in that sort of thing. There are a lot more important things to do. We are determined to try to make a success of the talks on political development,'' Mr Patten said.

  ''It doesn't seem to me that it is particularly newsworthy to publish a speech that was made 11 years ago, a speech which has been taken out and dusted down at fairly regular intervals ever since and a speech which predated the signing of the Joint Declaration . . .

  ''I don't think it is a cause of concern.''   Outgoing British team leader of the Joint Liaison Group, Tony Galsworthy, said the message was not new.

  ''I don't pay too much importance to that. I am not impressed.''   But a source close to the British side maintained that the publication was a well-orchestrated effort.

  It was the lead story of the People's Daily , in both the domestic and overseas editions, the CCTV and China's mouthpiece in Hong Kong, the Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po.

  Xinhua quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying yesterday the speech was ''highly far-sighted and completely correct''.

  It has proved to be of ''great importance and realistic significance'' for the smooth transition of Hong Kong although 11 years have elapsed, he explained.

    In his speech, Mr Deng said: ''We considered what we should do if serious disturbances occurred in Hong Kong during the transition period of 15 years. The Chinese Government would then be compelled to reconsider the timing and manner of the takeover.''   That scenario, however, was ''something we would hate to see happen'', he stressed.

  Details of the speech, first revealed by Vice-Premier Qian Qichen during an internal meeting with Preliminary Working Committee members in July, have been ''studied'' again by mainland officials handling Hong Kong affairs in the past two months.

    British ambassador to China, Sir Robin McLaren refused to speculate the implications behind the publishing of the speech two days before the 12th round of the constitutional talks.

  Liberal Party chairman Allen Lee Peng-fei said the move was the Chinese way of alerting the Hong Kong public to the obstacles faced in the present Sino-British talks.

  ''It seems the Chinese are preparing the Hong Kong people by releasing what Deng Xiaoping has said to Mrs Thatcher at that time, in case of there are turbulent situations in Hong Kong,'' he said.



China uses Deng's old speech as a warning