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PARTICULAR THE FUTURE OF COMMUNITY GROUPS AND POLITICAL PARTIES, WERE DISCUSSED AND THAT IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE CP AND MEMBERS OF THE PARTY SHOULD NOT HOLD ANY ACTIVITY IN PUBLIC IN HONG KONG IN THE RUN-UP TO 1997. THE BASIC LAW DID NOT BAN THE ACTIVITIES OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN HONG KONG BECAUSE THE CHINESE WANTED TO LEAVE SOME ROOM FOR MANOEUVRE BY THE CP IN FUTURE. IT WAS PROPOSED IN THE PLANS THAT COMMUNITY GROUPS WOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO ACTIVELY TAKE PART IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS AND TO DISCUSS POLITICS. THEY WOULD ALSO BE URGED TO RUN IN VARIOUS ELECTIONS. THE FUNCTIONS OF WORKERS WOULD BE BOOSTED IN THE TRANSITION AND THEY WOULD BE GROOMED TO ADMINISTER THE TERRITORY IN FUTURE.
5. THE PRESS REPORTED THAT HONG KONG'S MASS MEDIA HAD BEEN DIVIDED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES: MEDIA FULLY CONTROLLED BY CHINA: MEDIA THAT HAD A NEUTRAL IMAGE BUT COULD BE EXPLOITED BY CHINA: MEDIA THAT HAD A NEUTRAL IMAGE BUT WERE IN FACT PRO-TAIWAN: AND MEDIA WHICH MUST BE EXPELLED. THE NCNA HONG KONG BRANCH HAD ALREADY STARTED TO COLLECT BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON INDIVIDUAL JOURNALISTS. QUOTING SOURCES, THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES (10.9) REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HONG KONG'S CIVIL SERVICE AND THE RULE OF LAW SINCE THEY WERE IMPORTANT FACTORS AFFECTING HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. THE CHINESE WERE WORRIED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE ON THE CIVIL SERVICE. THE CHINESE WOULD CONDUCT SURVEYS ON CIVIL SERVANTS IN THE COMING YEARS IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY CAPABLE SENIOR OFFICERS FOR THE SAR.
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6. A VICE-DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, LI HOU, SAID THAT THE OFFICE HAD RECENTLY HELD A WORKING SESSION TO DISCUSS HONG KONG MATTERS. CHINA'S ESTABLISHED POLICIES TOWARDS HONG KONG HAD NOT BEEN CHANGED THE MEDIA (11.9) REPORTED. SPEAKING AFTER A MEETING WITH A DELEGATION OF THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LED BY THE US CONSUL-GENERAL AND AMCHAM PRESIDENT JOHN KAMM, LI SAID THAT CHINA WAS NOT OPPOSED TO THE ISSUE OF VISAS TO EMPLOYEES OF US COMPANIES IN HONG KONG IN ORDER TO RETAIN KEY PERSONNEL. CHINA WOULD RECOGNISE HONG KONG TRAVEL DOCUMENTS WITH US VISAS AND THAT HOLDERS OF THESE VISAS WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH EXTRA FORMALITIES.
7. NCNA HONG KONG DIRECTOR ZHOU NAN TOLD NEWSMEN THAT CHINA'S POLICIES ON HONG KONG HAD ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN INTO THE BASIC LAW AND WOULD NOT BE CHANGED, THE MEDIA (10.9) REPORTED. HE WAS SPEAKING ON HIS RETURN TO HONG KONG FOLLOWING A VISIT TO PEKING TO BRIEF THE CENTRAL AUTHORITIES ON THE LATEST SITUATION IN HONG
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