UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELNO 32
OF 190848Z AUGUST 93
AND TO IMMEDIATE FCO
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG
PWR Through
travis
165211 MDHIAN 1/2295
Just Like
Lego!
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT : PRESS REPORTS : 19 AUGUST
1
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THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES TODAY (19.8) REPORTED THAT ACCORDING TO ITS UNDERSTANDING THE CHINESE SIDE WERE MORE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT REACHING AN AGREEMENT IN THE TALKS. QUOTING SOURCES, THE PAPER SAID THAT DIFFERENCES WERE NARROWING AND THE TWO SIDES WERE NOW DISCUSSING DETAILS OF THE ELECTION COMMITTEE AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. THE CHINESE SIDE BELIEVED THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THE TWO SIDES TO REACH EACH AGREEMENT ON THE | OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN IN THE COMING MONTHS AS
THERE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TIME TO DO SO. A POSSIBLE WAY FORWARD WOULD BE FOR THE CHINESE SIDE TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO THE BRITISH SIDE THAT THE SARPC PWC WOULD DRAW UP A SET OF CRITERIA FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE. BUT THE FINAL DECISION WOULD STILL REST WITH THE STANDING COMMITTEE.
2. A SIMILAR REPORT WAS CARRIED IN MING PAO QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES. THE PAPER ALSO QUOTED BRITISH SOURCES AS SAYING THAT THE BRITISH SIDE COULD NOT ACCEPT THE CHINESE SUGGESTION AS THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE SET OF CRITERIA TO BE ANNOUNCED BY THE NPC
STANDING COMMITTEE AT A LATER DATE WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE BRITISH SIDE.
3. ALSO QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, MING PAO REPORTED THAT ON THE THROUGH TRAIN ISSUE, THE CHINESE SIDE HAD YET TO DECIDE THE FOLLOWING : IF THEY MADE A COMMITMENT ON THE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA AT THE TALKS AND THE PACKAGE WAS NOT ACCEPTED BY THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE, THEN THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER TO THE
BRITISH SIDE.
FORD
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