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FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 826
OF 171112Z MARCH 92
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING
@
177706 MDLIAN 2200
LEFT WING PRESS CONSPIRACY THEORY
1. ANOTHER GLARING EXAMPLE OF CHINESE ADER THEORY THINKING APPEARS IN A COMMENTARY BY LI LIN IN TODAY'S WEN WEI PO.
2. IN CRITICISING A VOTE TAKEN IN LAST FRIDAY'S LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETING TO INCREASE THE POWERS OF THE LEGCO BILLS COMMITTEES (NOTABLY TO REQUIRE PEOPLE TO ATTEND BEFORE THEM), THE ARTICLE BALDLY ASSETS THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS NEVER ABANDONED'
ITS INTENTION OF CHANGING THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT FROM AN
EXECUTIVE-LED STRUCTURE TO A LEGISLATURE-LED STRUCTURE . IT CLAIMS THAT THE MOVE BY THE LIBERAL LEGISLATORS TO INCREASE THE POWER OF THE COMMITTEES WAS CONNIVED AT AND SUPPORTED BY HKG.
3. LATER ON, THE ARTICLE QUOTES CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER QIAN QICHEN SAYING THAT IN HIS TALKS IN LONDON HE HAD BEEN ASSURED THAT IT WAS DEFINITELY NOT THE POLICY OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM IN HONG KONG. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES BY SAYING THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WHICH IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF BRITAIN SHOULD FOLLOW BRITISH POLICY, AND ASKED RHETORICALLY WHETHER INDEED IT IS DOING SO OR NOT.
COMMENT
4. THE BACKGROUND TO THIS IS THAT LAST FRIDAY (13 MARCH) THERE WAS AN IN-HOUSE DISCUSSION ON A REPORT ON LEGCO COMMITTEE STRUCTURE, FROM WHICH MEMBERS OF THE CRC WALKED OUT FOLLOWING AN ARGUMENT OVER WHETHER THE MEETING WAS SOLELY TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE OF WHETHER A VOTE SHOULD BE TAKEN ON IT. AFTER THE WALK OUT 21 MEMBERS WERE LEFT. THE CONVENOR, MRS ELSIE TU, ALLOWED THE QUESTION TO BE PUT TO A VOTE, WHICH WAS WON EASILY BY THE UDHK. HOWEVER, A CHANGE IN THE POWERS OF THE BILLS COMMITTEES WOULD REQUIRE A CHANGE TO THE STANDING ORDERS, WHICH ITSELF REQUIRES A RESOLUTION OF THE WHOLE COUNCIL. SO IN ACTUAL FACT NOT MUCH HAS BEEN CHANGED BY THE VOTE, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SOME SOUND AND FURY AT THE TIME OVER THE LIBERALS' TACTICS.
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