UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELNO 1852
OF 090945Z JULY 92
UNCLASSIFIED
AND TO PRIORITY WASHINGTON, PEKING
NAZ 091/2
Mr Stone on
36
011503
MDLIAN 8309
TOP COPY O DIST?
WASHINGTON PLEASE PASS HKETO
344
YOUR TELNO TO70: CHINA'S MFN STATUS:
LEGCO DEBATE
THE 150-MINUTE DEBATE TOOK PLACE ON 8 JULY 1992 IN A TENSE ATMOSPHERE. THERE WERE HEATED EXCHANGES BETWEEN UDHK AND CRC MEMBERS (PRINCIPALLY BETWEEN DR. HUANG CHEN-YA AND MR. ALLEN LEE).
THE UDHK AMENDMENT MOTION WAS DEFEATED 37 TO 12 WITH 5 ABSTENTIONS. THE OFFICIAL MEMBERS VOTED AGAINST.
2.
THE ORIGINAL MOTION BY CRC WAS CARRIED 40 TO 0 WITH 11
ABSTENTIONS (BY UDHK).
3.
4
IN HIS SPEECH, SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY REITERATED HKG'S CONSISTENT SUPPORT FOR UNCONDITIONAL MFN RENEWAL AND EMPHASISED THAT THE OFFICIAL MEMBERS' VOTE AGAINST THE AMENDMENT MOTION HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN CHINA. HKG'S POSITION WAS THAT MEN WAS A TRADE MATTER AND SHOULD NOT BE LINKED TO OTHER ISSUES. THIS POSITION HAD NOTHING TO DO
WITH THE MERIT OR OTHERWISE OF THE CONDITIONS INCLUDED IN THE TWO CONDITIONALITY BILLS. ANY PERCEIVED WEAKENING OF OUR SUPPORT OF THE FIRM STANCE TAKEN BY THE US ADMINISTRATION AGAINST CONDITIONAL MFN RENEWAL WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO OUR INTERESTS.
5.
IN RESPONSE TO MR. VINCENT CHENG'S CRITICISM OF THE U.K. GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS IN SUPPORT OF HONG KONG, SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY DEPLOYED THE POINTS IN PARAGRAPH 11 OF OUR TELNO 1812 AND, IN ADDITION, STATED THAT SOME OF THE CONTACTS BETWEEN THE U.K. AND US GOVERNMENTS ON THIS ISSUE HAD BEEN AT THE
HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE TWO GOVERNMENTS.
IN RESPONSE TO MR. CHENG'S IMPLIED CRITICISM THAT U.K.
POLITICIANS WERE NOT SPEAKING UP FOR HONG KONG ON THIS ISSUE DESPITE THE FACT THAT MANY OF THEM HAD BEEN INVITED TO VISIT HONG
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