3. THE SING TAO DAILY CARRIED AN ARTICLE BY THE REPORTER WHO HAS BEEN COVERING THE TALKS IN PEKING IN WHICH HE CLAIMED TO HAVE HEARD IN PEKING THAT THE FORM OF THE NEGOTIATIONS MIGHT CHANGE TO A SERIES OF WORKING PARTIES IF FURTHER PROGRESS WAS MADE. THESE WORKING PARTIES NEED NOT NECESSARILY MEET IN PEKING.
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4. THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST AND THE HONG KONG STANDARD BOTH REPORTED PROMINENTLY REMARKS MADE BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, BY MR. RONALD LI, CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG STOCK EXCHANGE, AND DY UNOFFICIAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR MR. ALLAN LEE, ON THE BBC'S MONEY PROGRAMME. THE FS WAS REPORTED AS HAVING SAID THAT IF BRITAIN AND CHINA REACHED A SENSIBLE AGREEMENT ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE HONG KONG MIGHT HAVE A STANDARD OF LIVING AS HIGH, IF NOT HIGHER, THAN BRITAIN BY THE YEAR 2000. MR. RONALD LI WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT HE HAD NO ILLUSIONS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO HIM WHEN CHINA TOOK OVER.
'AS LONG AS I UM USEFUL TO CHINA THEY WILL KEEP ME. IF I HAVE OUTLIVED MY USEFULNESS I WILL IMMEDIATELY BE SLAUGHTERED.'' MR. ALLEN LEE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT MONEY WAS POURING OUT OF HONG KONG AND THAT MANY PEOPLE WOULD SEEK TO LEAVE HONG KONG IF THEY WERE GIVEN THE OPTION TO LEAVE.
5. THE FINANCIAL DAILY (INDEPENDENT) IN ITS EDITORIAL SUGGESTED THAT ONLY THE BROAD PRINCIPLES OF HONG KONG'S MINI CONSTITUTION SHOULD BE DECIDED OVER THE NEXT ONE OR TWO YEARS, LEAVING THE DETAILS FOR A LATER STAGE. EVEN IF HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE ALLOWED TO BE MEMBERS OF THE WORKING COMMITTEE DRAFTING THE MINI CONSTITUTION, AS JI PENGFEI HAD REPORTEDLY TOLD THE OBSERVERS, IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHETHER THEY WOULD BE GIVEN ANY REAL SAY IN THE DRAFTING. THE HONG KONG DAILY NEWS (INDEPENDENT) IN ITS EDITORIAL SUGGESTED THAT RECENT MAJOR PROJECTS LIKE THE GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER STATION WHICH WOULD EXTEND BEYOND THE YEAR 2000 MIGHT INDICATED THAT BRITAIND AND CHINA HAD REACHED SOME LONG TERM AGREEMENT OVER HONG KONG.
YOUDE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
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