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033746
MDLIAN 7881*
SIU-LUN, IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE HK CHINA NEWS AGENCY, AS SAYING THE JUNE 4 INCIDENT HAD UNDERMINED THE FOUNDATIONS ON WHICH CHINA AND BRITAIN HAD BUILT UP THEIR MUTUAL TRUST, AND THAT THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE HAD FURTHER AGGRAVATED THE PROBLEM. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL AND THE SCM POST (8.2) QUOTED THE DIRECTOR OF THE CHINESE AND MONGOLIAN AFFAIRS OFFICE OF THE US STATE DEPARTMENT, KENT WIEDEMANN, AS SAYING THAT PEKING'S RECENT HARD-LINE STAND DECLARING ITS RIGHT TO REPRESENT HK PEOPLE AND A FINAL SAY ON MAJOR DOMESTIC DECISIONS IN HK WAS UNDERMINING CONFIDENCE IN THE TERRITORY AND THAT STATEMENTS OPPOSING THE NEW AIRPORT HAD SHAKEN THE PUBLIC MOOD.
VISITS
4. SING TAO JIH PAO (8.2) REPORTED THAT LU PING AND HIS PREDECESSOR, JI PENGFEI, WOULD ARRIVE IN HK ON MARCH 3. R-3 (6.2) REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE VICE-FOREIGN MINISTER, TIAN ZENGPEI, WOULD VISIT HK LATER THIS YEAR.
BILL OF RIGHTS
5.
THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (7.2) SAID THAT THE HK GOVERNMENT HAD DECIDED TO MAKE CONCESSIONS ON THE QUESTION OF THE FREEZE PERIOD RELATING TO THE PROPOSED BILL OF RIGHTS BUT THAT ONLY CERTAIN LAWS UNDER THE BILL WOULD BE EXEMPTED FOR ONE YEAR. THE HK DAILY NEWS (11.1) NOTED THAT THERE WERE TO CHINESE VERSIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, ISSUED IN 1966 AND 1988 RESPECTIVELY, WITH VARIATIONS IN THEIR WORDING. OFFICIALS WHO WERE DRAFTING THE BILL OF RIGHTS FOR HK DID NOT KNOW WHICH ONE TO FOLLOW.
PLA
6.
THE SUNDAY POST (10.2) NOTED THAT LITTLE PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE AFTER FOUR YEARS OF TALKS OVER THE ISSUE OF MILITARY LANDS AND THAT THE PLA HAD WANTED A SITE IN THE CENTRAL RECLAMATION FOR A MILITARY HEADQUARTERS.
AIRPORT
7
THE MEDIA (8.2) REPORTED THAT THE HK PRESS WOULD BE BANNED FROM COVERING THE THIRD ROUND OF THE AIRPORT TALKS. THE REPORTS SAID THAT THE PROPOSAL CAME FROM THE CHINESE SIDE AND WAS AGREED TO BY THE HK GOVERNMENT. THE HK PRESS SEVERELY CRITICISED THE MOVE,
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