UNCLASSIFIED
110612
MDLIAN 6171
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
HK33011
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
20 FEB 1990
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
TELNO 446
IDEX
PA
Action Taken
OF 06120OZ FEBRUARY 90
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING
INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG, HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK INFO ROUTINE HKGO SAN FRANCISCO, HKGO BRUSSELS, HKGO GENEVA INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP
SUMMARY
1. THE MEDIA CONTINUED TO GIVE GOOD COVERAGE TO NEWS RELATING TO THE FUTURE POLITICAL STRUCTURE AND THE BASIC LAW DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW. NEWS RELATING TO THE NATIONALITY ISSUE WAS ALSO GIVEN
A GOOD RUN.
SINO-BRITISH TALKS ON HONG KONG
2. THE FCO SPOKESMAN IN HONG KONG SAID THAT BRITISH AMBASSADOR IN PEKING WAS HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE ON HONG KONG AND THAT THE FOREIGN OFFICE HAD NOT DECIDED WHETHER OTHER SENIOR OFFICIALS SHOULD GO TO PEKING TO JOIN THE DISCUSSIONS, THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL REPORTED. SING TAO JIH PAO QUOTING AN FCO SPOKESMAN IN LONDON, SAID THAT CHINA AND BRITAIN WERE STILL DISCUSSING THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS. HOWEVER, AS TIME WAS RUNNING OUT, THEIR DIALOGUE WOULD END SHORTLY, THE PAPER SAID. IF A CONSENSUS COULD NOT BE REACHED BY THE TIME, THE BRITISH WOULD DECIDE WHETHER IT WOULD MAKE A UNILATERAL DECISION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION.
3. IN A SEPARATE REPORT, THE PAPER (1.2) QUOTED SOURCES AS SAYING THAT HONG KONG'S FUTURE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS HAD BECOME A DIPLOMATIC ISSUE WHICH WOULD BE DECIDED BY BOTH CHINA AND BRITAIN THROUGH CONTACTS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES, THE PAPER SAID THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT COULD NOT INFLUENCE THE DECISION BUT IT COULD PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT HONG KONG FOR BRITAIN'S REFERENCE. THE GOVERNMENT HAD WORKED OUT THREE POLITICAL MODELS FOR BRITAIN'S CONSIDERATION. ONE OF THE MODELS WAS THAT THE 10 LEGCO SEATS WHICH WERE CURRENTLY RETURNED FROM THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WOULD BE FILLED BY DIRECT ELECTIONS IN FUTURE. THE REST OF THE DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS WOULD BE RETURNED BY TERRITORY-WIDE CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS.
1
PAGE UNCLASSIFIED
Page 360Page 361