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020415
MDLIAN 0626
EXTENT OF THE SPLIT IN THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY ON THE NATIONALITY ISSUE. THE SURVEY OF 130 CONSERVATIVE BACKBENCH MPS CAME OUT WITH A SURPRISINGLY LARGE NUMBER STILL FIRMLY OPPOSED TO THE PASSPORT PACKAGE FOR HONG KONG. THE SURVEY SHOWED THAT 69 AGREED WITH GOVERNMENT'S POLICY, WITH 53 OPPOSED. OF THOSE OPPOSED, 38 SAID THEY FELT STRONGLY ENOUGH TO VOTE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.
9. THE CANADIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAD PROPOSED TO THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT A NEW SCHEME FOR HK PEOPLE TO OBTAIN RESIDENCY RIGHTS IN CANADA WITHOUT LEAVING THE TERRITORY, THE MEDIA REPORTED. COMMENTING ON THE PROPOSAL, THE CANADIAN COMMISSION SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT CANADA WELCOMED THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE IN MAINTAINING THE CONFIDENCE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE BUT THAT THERE WAS NO SIMILAR RIGHT OF ABODE POLICY IN CANADA. IT SAID THAT CANADA WOULD CONSIDER THE PROPOSAL BUT THAT IT WAS NOT IN LINE WITH THE COUNTRY'S IMMIGRATION POLICY, WHICH DID NOT GIVE FAVOUR TO APPLICATIONS FROM ANY GROUP.
FUTURE POLITICAL STRUCTURE
10. VICE-DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, LI HOU, SAID THAT CHINA HAD ALREADY MADE CONCESSIONS ON THE QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE POLITICAL STRUCTURE, A FEW PAPERS REPORTED. LI SAID THAT CONCESSIONS BY ONE PARTY COULD NOT RESOLVE THE QUESTION. HE HOPED THAT BOTH PARTIES WOULD MAKE AN EFFORT. HE SAID THAT THE QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE SHOULD BE DISCUSSED THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS.
BILL OF RIGHTS
11. EXCO HAD DECLINED TO ACCEPT THE DRAFT BILL OF RIGHTS ON THE GROUND THAT THE BILL WAS NOT SUPERIOR TO OTHER LAWS, THE MEDIA (10.1) REPORTED, QUOTING SOURCES. SOME REPORTS SAID THAT BECAUSE OF PRESSURE FROM CHINA, THE GOVERNMENT HAD 'WATERED DOWN'' THE BILL. THE REPORTS SAID THAT EXCO DECIDED TO RETURN THE DRAFT BILL FOR RE-
DRAFTING.
12. NEW NCNA DIRECTOR
12. CHINA ANNOUNCED THAT VICE-FOREIGN MINISTER ZHOU NAN WOULD IN FEBRUARY SUCCEED XU JIATUN AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE NCNA HK BRANCH, THE MEDIA (16.1) REPORTED. DOUGLAS HURD, SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT SOMEONE WHO WAS INFLUENTIAL IN PEKING WAS POSTED IN HONG KONG SO THAT MATTERS WHICH SHOULD BE DISCUSSED COULD BE DISCUSSED IN AN AUTHORITATIVE WAY A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE HKG LOOKED FORWARD TO ESTABLISHING A CORDIAL WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH MR ZHOU WHEN HE CAME TO HONG KONG, IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD
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