UNCLASSIFIED
015476
MDLIAN 5300
WORK ON THE DRAFTING COMMITTEE. IF THE NPC DECIDED TO DISMISS HIM FROM THE BLDC, IT WOULD OWE HK PEOPLE AN EXPLANATION, THE MEDIA (29.9) REPORTED IN GOOD COVERAGE. ON HIS RETURN FROM AN OVERSEAS TRIP, MR LEE POINTED OUT THAT FROM A LEGAL POINT OF VIEW HE WAS STILL A DRAFTER AND THAT THERE WAS NO NEED FOR HIM TO EXPLAIN HIS STAND IN PUBLIC. ANOTHER HK DRAFTER SZETO WAH SAID THAT AS LONG AS CHINESE PRIME MINISTER LI PENG REMAINED IN POWER, HE WOULD NOT RESUME DRAFTING WORK, SOME PAPERS REPORTED TODAY (3.10). THE HK ECONOMIC TIMES (3.10) REPORTED THAT THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NPC MIGHT MEET AT THE END OF THE MONTH TO DISCUSS MR LEE AND MR SZETO'S BLDC MEMBERSHIP.
21. BLC MEMBER DR RAYMOND HO QUOTED DIRECTOR OF HK AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE JI PENGFEI AS SAYING THAT THE BLDC WOULD CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO VIEWS ON THE DRAFT BASIC LAW BEFORE PROMULGATION, A NUMBER OF PAPERS (3.10) REPORTED. DR HO RETURNED HERE AFTER ATTENDING THE NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS IN PEKING. BLCC CHAIRMAN T.K. ANN SAID AT A NATIONAL DAY RECEPTION IN HK THAT THE BASIC LAW WOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT HK PEOPLE'S VIEWS, THE PAPERS (3.10) REPORTED.
NATIONALITY
22. BOTH THE SCM POST AND THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (27.9) CARRIED A REPORT BY THEIR CORRESPONDENT IN WASHINGTON, MICHAEL CHUGANI, WHICH SAID THAT A PROPOSAL TO DOUBLE IMMIGRATION FROM HK TO THE U.S. HAD FALLEN VICTIM TO POLITICAL WRANGLING BETWEEN THE TWO HOUSES OF THE U.S. CONGRESS OVER OTHER ASPECTS OF A FOREIGN AFFAIRS BILL WHICH CONTAINED THE HK AMENDMENT. THE CORRESPONDENT SAID THAT HOPES WERE FADING FAST THAT THE DOUBLING OF THE EXISTING HK IMMIGRATION QUOTA COULD BECOME LAW AND GO INTO EFFECT IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR.
23. REFERRING TO A CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT OF THE OMELCO PANEL ON NATIONALITY, THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS (28.9) REPORTED THAT OMELCO MEMBERS WILL MEET OFFICIALS OF 12 CONSULATES IN HK IN EARLY OCTOBER TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THE OMELCO STAND ON THE RIGHT OF ABODE ISSUE AND PROBLEMS FACING HK. THE MEMBERS WOULD MEET ANOTHER GROUP OF CONSULATE REPRESENTATIVES LATER.
LAND FUND
24. THE BANK OF CHINA GROUP SAID THAT THE SAR LAND FUND COULD BE USED FOR CARRYING OUT INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECTS PLANNED BY THE HK GOVERNMENT, SEVERAL PAPERS (29.9) REPORTED, QUOTING AN ARTICLE IN THE GROUP'S QUARTERLY ECONOMIC REVIEW. THE PAPERS NOTED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT AN INFLUENTIAL CHINA-BACKED ORGANISATION SUGGESTED THE USE OF THE LAND FUND FOR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT.
5
PAGE
UNCLASSIFIED