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073310
MDLIAN 6935,
TELLING A HK DELEGATION THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD NOT AGREE TO THE BRINGING ABOUT OF MAJOR CHANGES UNDER THE BANNER OF
DEMOCRACY.
14. AN ARTICLE BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BRITISH CHINESE PARLIAMENTARY GROUP, ROBERT ADLEY, PUBLISHED UNDER THE SUNDAY MORNING POST (15.11) WAS PICKED UP BY A FEW PAPERS, INCLUDING THE PRO-CHINA PRESS. IT WAS NOTED MR ADLEY CRITICISED THE GOVERNOR'S POLITICAL BLUEPRINT AND SAID THAT CHANGING THE RULES HALF WAY THROUGH THE GAME UNILATERALLY WAS UNWISE.
15. THE GOVERNOR'S ACTIVITIES IN CANADA WERE PROMINENTLY COVERED (14-16.11). REPORTS NOTED CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER BRIAN MULRONEY REAFFIRMED HIS GOVERNMENT'S SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNOR'S POLITICAL PROPOSALS WHICH WERE IN ACCORDANCE TO THE SPIRIT OF THE JD. THE GOVERNOR SAID (16.11) A REFERENDUM WAS NOT ON HIS AGENDA WHEN SPEAKING DURING A CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION INTERVIEW IN ONTARIO. THE GOVERNOR SAID A REFERENDUM COULD BE DIVISIVE IN HK AND WOULD ALLOW THE LEGCO TO MOVE AWAY FROM ITS RESPONSIBILITY OF TAKING THE DECISION. HE SAID HK PEOPLE WERE IN NEED OF A PERIOD OF QUIET AND CALM REFLECTION, AND A DISCUSSION OF SPECIFIC PROPOSALS.
16.
REPORTS NOTED (17.11) THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE MADE CLEAR HIS FULL BACKING FOR THE GOVERNOR IN THE CURRENT DEBATE WITH PEKING.
MR HURD SAID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT BELIEVED THE PACKAGE PUT FORWARD FOR THE NEXT STAGE IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF HK WERE WELL JUSTIFIED AND FULLY IN LINE WITH THE JD AND THE PRINCIPLE OF ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS'.
17.
SOME REPORTS NOTED (17.11) THE CHINESE VICE PREMIER, ZHU RONGJI, IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ON HK AFTER HIS ADDRESS TO THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS IN LONDON, SAID THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS CONTRAVENED THE JD AND SINO-BRITISH UNDERSTANDING ON CONVERGENCE WITH THE BL. MR ZHU SAID PEOPLE COULD NOT HELP BUT ASK WHETHER THERE WAS STILL A NEED TO STICK TO SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENTS OR WHETHER THESE HAD GONE WITH THE WIND'. MR ZHU SAID THIS WAS A QUESTION OF PRINCIPLE AND CHINA WOULD NOT COMPROMISE ON PRINCIPLES. HE HOPED THE TWO SIDES WOULD
GO BACK TO THE 'CO-OPERATIVE TRACK'. SING TAO DAILY NOTED (18.11) THAT WIRE DISPATCHES HAD INTERPRETED MR ZHU'S 'GONE WITH THE WIND' REMARKS AS A HINT THAT CHINA MIGHT NO LONGER ABIDE BY THE JD IF THE BRITISH SIDE TOOK UNILATERAL ACTION. IT NOTED THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO LONDON, MA YUZHEN, FELT THIS WAS A
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