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WOULD TRY TO LEARN ABOUT THE BRITISH RESPONSE TO THE THREE PROPOSALS FOR THE NEW AIRPORT PUT FORWARD BY THE CHINESE SIDE AT THE THIRD ROUND OF EXPERT TALKS: THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD PROMISE TO LEAVE AMPLE FISCAL RESERVES TO THE SAR GOVERNMENT, THAT THE CHINESE COULD APPOINT REPRESENTATIVES TO THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY, AND THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAD TO SET UP A WIDELY REPRESENTED CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ON THE PROJECT. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NOTED THAT LU PING WOULD MEET A MEMBER GROUP OF THE ALL HONG KONG ALLIANCE IN SUPPORT OF THE PATRIOTIC PRO- DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT IN CHINA AND THE FEDERATION OF CIVIL SERVICE UNIONS DURING HIS VISIT.
HUMAN RIGHTS
4. MEDIA REPORTS NOTED THAT LU PING TOLD MACAU BLCC MEMBERS THAT CHINA WOULD NOT OBJECT TO HONG KONG'S BILL OF RIGHTS PROVIDED THAT ITS LEGAL STATUS WOULD BE BELOW THAT OF THE BASIC LAW BECAUSE THE BASIC LAW WOULD BE HONG KONG'S MINI-CONSTITUTION AND WOULD BE SUPREME. THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL REPORTED THAT THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE WOULD EXAMINE HONG KONG'S THIRD REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN EARLY APRIL AND IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT A NUMBER OF LOCAL CONCERN GROUPS WOULD SEND REPRESENTATIVES TO NEW YORK TO DO LOBBYING WORK. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PLANNED TO AMEND CONTROVERSIAL LEGISLATION IN PREPARATION FOR ENQUIRIES BY THE COMMITTEE AND CRITICISMS BY THE CONCERN GROUPS. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS REPORTED THAT THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP ON THE BILL OF RIGHTS HAD COMPLETED A REPORT ON THE BILL TO SUBMIT TO THE LEGCO ON 13 MARCH. SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, MICHAEL SUEN, SAID (5.3 REPORTS) THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MIGHT HAVE TO FOLLOW THE ORIGINAL CHINESE VERSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COVENANTS SIGNED BY THE BRITISH, AS A RESULT OF WHICH, ONLY THE TAIWANESE VERSION OF THE COVENANTS WOULD BE ADOPTED.
NCNA
5. MING PAO REPORTED THAT THE MAJOR OF A CITY IN FUJIAN, CHEN RONGCHUN, WOULD BE POSTED TO THE NCNA HONG KONG BRANCH EARLY THIS MONTH TO TAKE OVER FROM JI SHAOXIANG AS HEAD OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.
NATIONALITY
6. A HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE OUTCOME WAS SATISFACTORY AND THAT THE SCHEME HAD EXERTED A STABILISING EFFECT ON THE COMMUNITY AND PLAYED ITS PART IN RESTORING LOCAL CONFIDENCE BY ANCHORING KEY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. BARONESS DUNN
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