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036353 MDHIAN 039 `

ELECTION COMMITTEE FOR THE 1995 LEGCO. NOR SHOULD CHINESE OFFICIALS IN HONG KONG TAKE PART IN THE ELECTIONS HERE, OTHERWISE IT WOULD BECOME 'PEKING PEOPLE RUNNING HONG KONG'.

SAR PREPARATORY WORK ORGAN

5. IN MEETING THE VISITING ADPL DELEGATION YESTERDAY, NPC VICE CHAIRMAN WANG HANBIN WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT THE PRELIMINARY WORK ORGAN FOR THE SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF HONG KONG MEMBERSHIP SO THAT VIEWS FROM HONG KONG COULD BE FULLY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. HE PERSONALLY FELT THAT HALF OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ORGAN SHOULD COME

FROM HONG KONG.

JLG

$

6. ATV LAST EVENING (6 MAY) QUOTED A CHINESE SOURCE AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE HOPED THE JLG COULD MEET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE MANY ISSUES HAD YET TO BE RESOLVED. AS TO WHY NO DATE HAD BEEN SET FOR THE NEXT MEETING, THE SOURCE SAID IT DEPENDED ON WHETHER THERE WAS A BASIS FOR THE RESUMPTION OF MEETINGS.

LEFT-WING COMMENTARIES

7. A PROMINENT COMMENTARY WEN WEI PO REFERRED TO REMARKS BY A

BRITISH SIDE OFFICIAL AS REPORTED IN THE PRESS THAT THE CHINESE SIDE SHOULD NOT UNDER-ESTIMATE MR PATTEN'S COURAGE AND SHOULD LEARN A LESSON FROM HIS MOVE TO GAZETTE THE BILL LAST TIME. THE COMMENTARY SAID IT WAS THE GOVERNOR WHO SHOULD LEARN A LESSON FROM HIS PAST MISDEED, NOT THE CHINESE SIDE. HONG KONG PEOPLE RESENTED SUCH COURAGE SHOWN BY MR PATTEN BECAUSE HE HAD DAMAGED THE TALKS. IT FURTHER CONTENDED THAT THEY HOPED HE WOULD NO LONGER POSE OBSTACLES TO THE TALKS AND GIVE UP HIS PACKAGE OF

'THREE VIOLATIONS'.

8. OTHER ARTICLES IN TA KUNG AND WEN WEI CONTINUED THEIR ATTACK ON THE GOVERNOR'S US VISIT. A DESPATCH IN TA KUNG FROM NEW YORK ARGUED THAT THE REAL OBJECTIVE OF THE GOVERNOR WAS TO SELL HIS PACKAGE AND TO GAIN POLITICAL CAPITAL. AN ARTICLE IN WEN WEI ASSERTED THAT THE GOVERNOR WAS PLAYING THE US CARD IN PUTTING PRESSURE ON CHINA TO CONCEDE ON THE POLITICAL ROW BEFORE 3 JUNE. BUT WHETHER OR NOT PRESIDENT CLINTON SUPPORTED THE GOVERNOR, THE CHINESE WOULD NOT BOW TO PRESSURE.

FORD

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