ON THE PRIME MINISTER'S ASSERTION THAT BRITAIN'S STAND HAD NOT BASICALLY CHANGED, AND THAT IT RESTED ON THE JOINT COMMUNIQUE. RECALLING THAT THE PRIME MINISTER HAD SAID DURING HER PRESS CONFERENCE IN SPETEMBER LAST YEAR THAT TREATIES COULD BE VARIED, THE MING PAO CONCLUDED THAT AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR'S NEGOTIATION, THE TWO SIDES WERE BEGINNING TO FIND WAYS OF REACHING A NEW AGREEMENT. THE WAH KIU YAT PO (INDEPENDENT) SUGGESTED THAT THE PRIME MINISTER'S APPEARANCE ON THE PROGRAMME WAS A DELIBERATE MOVE DESIGNED TO INDICATE THAT A SOLUTION HAD BEEN FOUND TO THE PROBLEM OF THE THREE TREATIES DURING THE FIFTH ROUND OF TALKS. THE SING PAO (INDEPENDENT) EXPRESSED CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM THAT BRITAIN'S STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN THE RIGHTS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE MIGHT ACHIEVE A SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION. THE HONG KONG DAILY NEWS (INDEPENDENT) SUGGESTED THAT A SOLUTION WOULD BE FOUND WHEREBY SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG REVERTED TO CHINA WHILE BRITAIN WOULD REMAIN IN CHARGE OF A FULLY INDEPENDENT JUDICIAL SYSTEM. THE HONG KONG TIMES (PRO-KMT) SAID THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD REFLECT ON THE FACT THAT CHINESE COMMUNITIES IN TAIWAN, HONG KONG AND OVERSEAS WERE PROSPEROUS WHILST THE POPULATION OF MAINLAND CHINA WERE POOR.
5. THE TA KUNG PAO (COMMUNIST) PUBLISHED ON ITS FRONT PAGE A JIJ AGENCY REPORT QUOTING VICE FOREIGN MINISTER QMAN QICHEN AS HAVING TOLD A JAPANESE PRESS DELEGATION IN PEKING THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS COULD CONTINUE BEYOND THE SEPTEMBER 1994 DEADLINE EVEN IF FULL AGREEMENT HAD NOT BY THEN BEEN REACHED. THE SAME STORY WAS ALSO CARRIED IN FOUR NDEPENDENT CHINESE LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS, ONE OF WHICH (SING TAO DAILY) SUGGESTED IN AN EDITORIAL COMMENT THAT THIS MIGHT INDICATE AT SOFTENING OF THE CHINESE APPROACH TO THE NEGOTIATIONS.
6. MOST PAPERS ALSO REPORT REMARKS BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC, DR KENTH LEGGE, ON HIS RETURN FROM A VISIT TO CHINA, DURING WHICH HE HAD AN UNSCHEDULED MEETING WITH JI PENGFE. ACCORDING TO DR LEGGE, Jih PENGFE HAD TOLD HIM THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE HAD NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT AND THAT BRITAIN AND CHINA WOULD REACH AN AGREEMENT ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE WHICH WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO HONG KONG PEOPLE.
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