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014652
MDLIAN 5186
BRITAIN'S PARTNERS AND ALLIES.
4. THE PAPERS (11.4) REPORTED THAT A NUMBER OF URBAN COUNCILLORS, DISTRICT BOARD CHAIRMEN AND PROFESSIONAL GROUPS HAD WELCOMED THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE. ANTHONY YUNG OF THE SOCIETY OF ACCOUNTANTS SAID HE WAS PLEASED THAT BRITAIN WAS LOBBYING OTHER COUNTRIES TO OFFER HONG KONG PEOPLE NATIONALITY SCHEMES. THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF INCHCAPE PACIFIC, CHARLES MACKAY, SAID THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE REPRESENTED A COURAGEOUS MOVE BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
5. THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE HAD DRAWN GREAT INTEREST AMONG MPS. TORY WHIPS WERE SPENDING THE EASTER WEEKEND MUSTERING SUPPORT FOR THE NATIONALITY (HK) BILL, THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (15.4) REPORTED. NORMAN TEBBIT INSISTED THAT HE HAD 80 CONSERVATIVE MPS READY TO VOTE AGAINST THE BILL BUT ANALYSIS PREDICTED THE FIGURE WAS CLOSER TO 50. ABOUT 20 LABOUR MPS WERE EXPECTED TO DEFY THEIR OWN LEADERSHIP BY ABSTAINING. THE OFFICIAL ULSTER UNIONIST PARTY, WHOSE NINE MPS WERE GOING TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT, NOW SAID THEY WOULD ABSTAIN OR VOTE AGAINST IT IN PROTEST AT WHAT THEY CLAIMED WAS THE TORIES' WEAK REACTION TO THE IRISH COURTS' REFUSAL TO EXTRADITE CONVICTED IRA TERRORISTS.
6. CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN LI JINHUA CALLED THE MOVE TO OBTAIN EUROPEAN HELP FOR THE NATIONALITY SCHEME ''A FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF EXISTING AGREEMENTS WHICH WAS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE TO CHINA. SHE SAID THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT COULD NOT IGNORE SUCH A SERIOUS BREACH BY THE BRITISH SIDE OF ITS SOLEMN COMMITMENT AND THE RELEVANT AGREEMENTS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN. SHE ADDED THAT CHINA WOULD RESERVE THE RIGHT TO TAKE CORRESPONDING MEASURES.
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7. LEADER WRITERS FROM PRO-PEKING PAPERS HAD KEPT UP CRITICISM OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE. TA KUNG PAO (17.4) SAID THAT THE SCHEME WAS NOT IN LINE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION AND WOULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF CHANGING THE HONG KONG PEOPLE RUNNING HONG KONG'' CONCEPT TO ''BRITISH NATIONALS RUNNING HONG KONG''. IT HOPED THAT FOR THE SAKE OF GOOD SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS AND THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG, THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD REPEAL OR SHELVE THE MOST UNPOPULAR NATIONALITY BILL. CHING PO (16 AND 17.4) SAID THAT THE SCHEME WAS ALSO NOT WELCOMED BY BRITISH PEOPLE AS INDICATED IN AN OPINION POLL AND ASKED BRITAIN NOT TO PRESS AHEAD WITH THE PACKAGE.
BASIC LAW
8. JIANG ZEMIN TOLD HONG KONG BUSINESSMAN STANLEY HO IN PEKING, THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT STABILITY BE MAINTAINED IN BOTH HONG
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