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126123 MDHIAN 0896

MAINTAIN INFLUENCE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS OF HK'S TRANSITION AS WELL AS IN THE FUTURE SAR ADMINISTRATION. THE HUMAN RIGHTS ANGLE WAS DISPELLED. A WRITER IN TA KUNG PAO WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE NEW POLICY WAS ANOTHER INCIDENT USED BY THE GOVERNOR TO CHALLENGE THE BL AND TO CREATE TROUBLE FOR THE CHINESE SIDE DURING THE TRANSITION. ANOTHER WRITER IN WEN WEI PO DESCRIBED THE MOVE AS PART OF THE BRITISH SIDE'S ''SUMMER VACATION OFFENSIVE''.

12. SING TAO THE ORIENTAL DAILY, THE HK DAILY SAID THAT THE NEW

POLICY WOULD DEAL A BLOW TO THE LOCALISATION POLICY.

THEY CLAIMED

THAT THE UNFAIR SITUATION BETWEEN LOCAL AND EXPATRIATE CIVIL SERVANTS HAD RETURNED. THEY ALSO DEMANDED PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE NEW POLICY. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL SAID THAT THE NEW POLICY WOULD AFFECT LOCALISATION AT THE SENIOR LEVEL BEFORE 1997, PARTICULARLY IN THE POLICE AND LEGAL DEPARTMENT.

13.

MING PAO, THE EXPRESS AND WAH KIU YAT PO WERE CONCERNED THAT THE NEW POLICY MIGHT CAUSE A SUCCESSION PROBLEM AS THE LOCAL CIVIL SERVANTS MIGHT NOT BE READY TO TAKE UP THE KEY POSTS VACATED BY EXPATRIATES IN 1997. SING PAO DISPELLED THE BILL OF RIGHTS ARGUMENT.

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THE SCMP EDITORIAL ARGUED AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY, SAYING THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD DRIVEN A WEDGE BETWEEN LOCAL AND EXPATRIATE CIVIL SERVANTS, ITS OWN RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND AROUSED THE IRE OF LEGISLATORS.

THE

15. YU KAM-YIN IN THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WAS BOUND TO BE SUSPICIOUS OF THE NEW POLICY, WHICH WOULD TURN FOREIGNERS INTO HK PEOPLE. COUPLED WITH THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE WHICH TURNED MANY LOCAL CIVIL SERVANTS INTO FOREIGNERS, NEW POLICY WOULD FILL THE SAR'S HIGHER ECHELONS OF POWER WITH ''REAL AND FALSE FOREIGNERS'' THE ISSUE WOULD OPEN A NEW BATTLE- GROUND FOR CHINA AND BRITAIN.

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16. A WRITER IN THE HK ECONOMIC TIMES AND TIN TIN NOTED THAT THE NEW POLICY HAD NOT CONTRAVENED THE BL AND NON-CHINESE CIVIL SERVANTS SHOULD NOT BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. TIN TIN HOWEVER SAID THAT EXPATRIATE CIVIL SERVANTS WHO WERE ALLOWED TO TRANSFER TO LOCAL TERMS MUST KNOW CHINESE, RESPECT THE CHINESE HABITS AND THEIR PROMOTION MUST NOT BE GIVEN PRIORITY SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WERE EXPATRIATES.

17.

THE HKS EDITORIAL SAID THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE COMMANDED FOR

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