UNCLASSIFIED
072365
MDHIAN 3942:
THE SETTING UP OF CONSULTATIVE BODIES WHICH HE SAID HAD GONE BEYOND WHAT MR LU HAD SAID. ALLEN LEE (CRC) SAID HE WAS DISAPPOINTED AT THE NEWS THAT SINO-BRITISH TALKS HAD BROKEN DOWN COMPLETELY FOR THE TIME BEING BECAUSE OF THE GAZETTING OF THE BILL ON 12 MARCH. TAM YIU-CHUNG (DAB) DESCRIBED THE PRESENT SITUATION AS ''CRITICAL''. HE SAID THAT IF THE BRITISH SIDE WISHED TO RE-OPEN THE TALKS, THEY SHOULD KNOW WHAT TO DO AND THAT MR PATTEN SHOULD KNOW CLEARLY WHAT HE SHOULD DO. FRED LI (MEETING POINT) NOTED THAT NOW BOTH CHINA AND BRITAIN WERE LACKING MUTUAL TRUST, WHICH MADE THE TWO SIDES DRAG ON MINOR DIFFERENCES. FREDERICK FUNG CADPL) SAID THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS SHOULD NOT BE HELD BACK BECAUSE OF SUCH MINOR DIFFERENCES.
5. ELSIE TU AGREED WITH LU THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD DAMAGED TALKS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN. SHE SAID MR PATTEN SHOULD BE BLAMED FOR WHAT HAD HAPPENED. ANDREW WONG BELIEVED THE TWO SIDES WERE STILL PREPARED FOR TALKS. FOR THE TIME BEING, THEY HAD TO LET THEMSELVES COOL DOWN BEFORE TALKS COULD BEG IN. CHRISTINE LOH SAID SHE WOULD NOT TAKE SIDE WITH EITHER BRITAIN OR CHINA. SHE FELT THAT IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT LU HAD NOT ABSOLUTELY RULED OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF RE-OPENING TALKS.
SURVEY
6. SING TAO DAILY CONDUCTED A TELEPHONE SURVEY LAST EVENING AFTER LU'S PRESS CONFERENCE. OF THE 622 PEOPLE INTERVIEWED, ABOUT 60 PERCENT DID NOT AGREE WITH LU'S REMARK THAT THE BRITISH SIDE SHOULD BE BLAMED FOR THE FAILURE OF THE TALKS. 81 PERCENT FELT THAT THE DOOR FOR TALKS HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETELY CLOSED. 76 PERCENT DISAGREED WITH LU DUBBING THE GOVERNOR ''THE CULPRIT FOR THOUSAND GENERATIONS&&.
DENG XIAOGING
ACCORDING TO MING PAO, DENG TOLD SENIOR CHINESE LEADERS RIGHT BEFORE THE OPENING OF THE NPC THAT THEY SHOULD BE ON GUARD AGAINST PETTY TRICKS PLAYED BY THE BRITISH ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG. DENG SAID HE WAS MOST CONCERNED ABOUT HONG KONG AND THE AMENDMENT OF THE PRC CONSTITUTION.
PATTEN
YYYY
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