UNCLASSIFIED
}
01.
MDLIAN
48
10. REPORTS WIDELY NOTED
(30.12) MR QIAN QICHEN, AT A YEAR END REVIEW WITH AN NCNA REPORTER, SAID CHINA WAS FIRM IN ITS STAND ON MAJOR QUESTIONS OF PRINCIPLE SUCH AS TAIWAN, HK, TIBET AND OTHER ISSUES RELATING TO CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY AND THE FUNDAMENTAL INTERESTS OF THE NATION. MR QIAN DID NOT SPECIFICALLY MENTION THE CURRENT DISPUTE ON HK BUT SAID CHINA WOULD NEVER BARTER AWAY THOSE PRINCIPLES AND THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR CONCESSIONS IN THIS RESPECT.
NCNA REBUTTAL ON BAR ASSOCIATION'S STATEMENT
11.
IT WAS NOTED (24.12) THE HEAD OF NCNA PROPAGANDA DEPARTMENT, SUN NAN SHENG, IN RESPONSE TO THE STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE BAR ASSOCIATION ON CONTRACTS AND FRANCHISES STRADDLING 1997, SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT THE POWER OF INTERPRETATION OF THE BL SHOULD REST WITH THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NPC. THE BRITISH HKG HAD NO RIGHT TO HANDLE ANY MATTER WHICH STRADDLED 1997 AND ANY UNILATERAL DECISION MADE BY THE BRITISH IN THIS REGARD HAD NO LEGAL BASIS. MR SUN ALSO QUOTED ARTICLE 160 OF THE BL WHICH STIPULATED DOCUMENTS AND CONTRACTS VALID UNDER THE LAWS PREVIOUSLY IN FORCE IN HK SHOULD NOT CONTRAVENE THE BL IF THEIR VALIDITY WAS TO BE CONTINUED. HE SAID UNILATERAL DECISIONS BY THE BRITISH HKG ON MATTERS STRADDLING 1997 IN ITSELF CONTRADICTED THE BL AND JD. MR SUN ALSO SAID THERE WAS NO STIPULATION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW THAT A NEW GOVERNMENT WAS OBLIGED TO RECOGNISE CONTRACTS SIGNED BY THE OLD GOVERNMENT. HE SAID ON THE CONTRARY, A NEW GOVERNMENT HAD THE POWER NOT TO RECOGNISE CONTRACTS SIGNED BY THE OLD GOVERNMENT.
ZHOU NAN
12.
PAPERS REPORTED (24.12) IN A NEW YEAR MESSAGE TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE JANUARY 1993 EDITION OF BAUHINIA, NCNA HK DIRECTOR ZHOU NAN ADVISED THE BRITISH HK AUTHORITIES TO CHANGE THEIR COURSE AND (RATIFY THEIR MISTAKES. MR ZHOU SAID IN IGNORING CHINA'S ADVICE AND THE OPPOSITION OF HK PEOPLE TO THE GOVERNOR'S CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE, THE BRITISH HK ADMINISTRATION WOULD INEVITABLY JEOPARDISE HK'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. MR ZHOU SAID HK'S FUTURE WAS FULL OF OPTIMISM: THE CONCEPT OF 'ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS' WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED.
BILL CLINTON
13. REMARKS BY US PRESIDENT ELECT BILL CLINTON ON CHINA AND HK WERE NOTED (24.12) MR CLINTON WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT CHINA'S HUGE TRADE SURPLUS WITH THE US WOULD GIVE THE US SOME GROUND FOR SERIOUS DISCUSSION ON WHAT KIND OF FREEDOM THE PEOPLE OF HK
PAGE
4
UNCLASSIFIED