UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1586
OF 21100OZ MAY 91
UNCLASSIFIED
MMB 301
кр
السلفية
OPY
59
046123
MDLIAN 2493
pa.
INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUND-UP
SUMMARY
1. THE AIRPORT PROJECT CONTINUED TO RECEIVE EXTENSIVE COVERAGE.
AIRPORT
2. ON THE EVE OF THE TALKS, LOCAL PAPERS WIDELY QUOTED SIR DAVID WILSON, ANDREW BURNS AND CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN DUAN JIN AS EXPRESSING HOPE FOR AN EARLY RESOLUTION.
3. CHINESE TEAM LEADER CHEN ZUO'ER WAS QUOTED (18.5 REPORTS) AS SAYING THAT CHINA'S OBJECTIVE WAS TO MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY IN THE LONG TERM, AND CALLED FOR A HIGHER DEGREE OF TRANSPARENCY FOR THE TALKS. THE CALL FROM THE VICE-DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, CHEN ZIYING, FOR DISCUSSIONS TO BE HELD ON THE BASIS OF THE JD WAS GIVEN GOOD COVERAGE.
4. SOME PAPERS (19 AND 20.5), QUOTING SOURCES, NOTED THAT THE PROPOSAL PUT FORWARD BY THE CHINESE SIDE DID NOT INCLUDE ITS EARLIER SUGGESTION THAT THE LAND COMMISSION MODEL COULD BE USED TO RESOLVE MAJOR MATTERS STRADDLING 1997.
5. THE PAPERS QUOTED ANDREW BURNS BEFORE THE THIRD DAY OF TALKS (21.5) AS SAYING THAT BOTH SIDES HAD INCREASED THEIR UNDERSTANDING AND MADE SOME USEFUL PROGRESS, BUT THERE WAS NO 'BREAKTHROUGH'. THE PAPERS NOTED THAT ANDREW BURNS DECLINED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM THE PRESS AFTER THE MEETING.
LAND COMMISSION
6. THE CHINESE LEADER OF THE LAND COMMISSION, SUN YANHENG, SAID THAT SINO-BRITISH CO-OPERATION ON LAND LEASES WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF POSITIVE CONSULTATIONS ON HONG KONG AFFAIRS WITHOUT INTERFERENCE IN THE BRITISH ADMINISTRATION.
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