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MDLIAN 2637、
4. THE HK CHINA NEW AGENCY CARRIED A COMMENTARY (12.12) IN WHICH THE WRITER SAID THAT JUDGING FROM THE DEBATE ON THE COURT, SOME POLITICIANS IN LEGCO HAD THE INTENTION OF PRESSING THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS TO CHANGE THE AGREEMENT ON THE CFA. HE BELIEVED
THEY WANTED TO USE THIS QUESTION TO FIGHT FOR A HIGHER STATUS AND GREATER POWER FOR THE COUNCIL.
LEGCO
5. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (4.12) SAID THAT CHINA HAD INDICATED TO SOME LEGCO MEMBERS THROUGH THE NCNA HK BRANCH ITS CONCERN THAT A
LEGCO COMMITTEE SYSTEM WOULD CHANGE THE PRESENT EXECUTIVE-LED
POLITICAL STRUCTURE. CHINESE JLG TEAM LEADER GUO FENGMIN SAID THE
QUESTION OF THE COMMITTEE SYSTEM INVOLVED THE PROSPERITY AND
STABILITY OF HK AND ITS SMOOTH TRANSFER IN 1997. HE STRESSED THE PRE- 1997 STRUCTURE OF THE LEGISLATURE HAD TO CONVERGE WITH THE BL, OTHERWISE IT COULD NOT SURVIVE THE 1997 HANDOVER. IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THE BRITISH SIDE, LED BY ANTHONY GALSWORTHY, TOLD THE CHINESE THAT CHANGES IN LEGCO WERE A MATTER FOR THE ASSEMBLY RATHER THAN THE HK ADMINISTRATION.
LORD CAITHNESS
6. GOOD COVERAGE WAS GIVEN TO THE VISIT BY THE FCO MINISTER WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR HK, LORD CAITHNESS (7.12), AND TO HIS COMMENTS ON LOCAL ISSUES. HE SAID THAT THE CFA AGREEMENT WAS IN LINE WITH THE BL
AND THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR HK TO SET UP THE COURT BEFORE 1997. ON THE 1995 ELECTIONS, HE SAID THAT HMG WOULD DISCUSS WITH THE CHINESE WITH A VIEW TO INCREASING HK'S DEMOCRACY. HE SAID THAT HE HAD MADE CLEAR TO THE CHINESE IN DISCUSSING LEGCO'S STANDING COMMITTEE SYSTEM
THAT IT WAS ENTIRELY UP TO LEGCO HOW TO ORGANISE ITSELF.
JLG
7. THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES ISSUED A COMMUNIQUE AFTER THE 21AST
ROUND OF JLG TALKS (6.12) SAYING THAT THEY HAD AGREED ON THE CONTINUED APPLICATION TO HK AFTER 1997 OF SEVEN INTERNATIONAL TREATIES IN THE FIELDS OF CONSERVATION AND HEALTH. EARLIER, LEADERS OF BOTH TEAMS INDICATED (5.12) THAT THEY HAD A USEFUL EXCHANGE OF
VIEWS.
REMARKS BY CHEN ZIYING IN HK
8. THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE HK AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, CHEN ZIYING, SAID (9.12) DURING HIS VISIT HERE THAT THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES SHOULD STEP UP CONTACTS AND CO-OPERATION IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE TRANSITION. MR CHEN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING AFTER A TOUR OF
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