UNCLASSIFIED
102 MDLIAN 7779
SIDE ABOUT THE BILL AS A MATTER OF COURTESY. THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE BILL WAS A MATTER FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. SO IT WAS NOT NECESSARY FOR IT TO BE DISCUSSED BY THE JLG.
LOCAL REACTIONS
5. THE BAR ASSOCIATION, IN A STATEMENT, WELCOMED THE BILL. HOWEVER, IT HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN A SUPERIOR STATUS OVER OTHER LAWS. MANY PEOPLE INTERVIEWED BY THE MEDIA, INCLUDING LEGCO MEMBERS MARTIN LEE AND JIMMY MCGREGOR, EXPRESSED FEAR THAT CHINA MIGHT REPEAL THE BILL AFTER 1997, AS DID LEADER WRITERS IN A NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT PAPERS. SOME COMMUNITY GROUPS SUGGESTED THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO/NO FREEZE PERIOD.
NATIONALITY
6. QUOTING SOURCES CLOSE TO CHINA, A FEW PAPERS (14.3) REPORTED THAT RECENT STATEMENTS BY THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY ON THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE MIGHT HELP PREVENT THE SCHEME FROM
GETTING THROUGH IN PARLIAMENT.
7. THE MEDIA (18-20.3) GAVE GOOD COVERAGE TO THE VISIT BY THE HOME OFFICE'S PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY, PETER LLOYD, WHO WAS HERE TO COLLECT LOCAL VIEWS ON THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE BEFORE DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS WERE TO BE FINALISED. THE MEDIA (20.3) QUOTED MR LLOYD AS SAYING THAT HE HAD CONFIDENCE THAT THE PACKAGE WOULD BE PASSED BY PARLIAMENT DESPITE GROWING OPPOSITION FROM SOME MPS.
LI PENG
8. QUOTING SOURCES IN PEKING, THE PAPERS (19.3) REPORTED IN GOOD COVERAGE THAT CHINESE PRIME MINISTER LI PENG, IN HIS GOVERNMENT WORKING REPORT TO BE TABLED AT THE THIRD PLENUM OF THE CHINESE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS, WOULD CALL ON CHINESE IN THE MAINLAND, HONG KONG AND MACAU TO MUTUALLY RESPECT ONE ANOTHER'S SYSTEM AND WAY OF LIVING. MR LI WOULD STRESS THAT NATIONAL VIGILANCE MUST BE MAINTAINED AGAINST A SMALL GROUP OF HONG KONG AND MACAU PEOPLE ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE TERRITORIES INTO A BASE FOR SUBVERSION AGAINST THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND THE SOCIALIST SYSTEM. HE WOULD CALL ON BOTH THE BRITISH AND PORTUGUESE GOVERNMENTS TO BE COOPERATIVE WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SO AS TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION.
POLITICAL REFORMS
9. EXCO HAD ENDORSED PROPOSALS FOR THE COMPOSITION OF THE 1991 LEGCO AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1991 ELECTIONS, THE MEDIA (14.3) REPORTED IN WIDE COVERAGE. EXCO AGREED TO THE PROPOSALS THAT LEGCO
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