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DETERMINE WHO SHOULD GET OFF THE TRAIN, THEN THE TALKS WOULD HAVE NO MEANING. THE BRITISH WOULD NOT MAKE ANY CONCESSION ON THIS.
6. QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, SING TAO DAILY SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE BELIEVED THAT BOTH SIDES HAD IN THE PAST REACHED UNDERSTANDING ON THE THROUGH TRAIN AND HAD EXPRESSED AGREEMENT TO THE BL PROVISIONS ON THE THROUGH TRAIN FOLLOWING THE 1990 EXCHANGE OF CORRESPONDENCE. THE CHINESE FELT THAT THE THROUGH TRAIN QUESTION WAS AMONG THE 'RELEVANT AGREEMENTS AND UNDERSTANDINGS REACHED BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN': IT NEED NOT BE RAISED AGAIN IN THE TALKS.
LEFT-WING COMMENTARIES
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7. WEN WEI PO'S EDITORIAL TODAY STRESSED THAT THE 'TICKET INSPECTION SYSTEM' FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN WAS A MANIFESTATION OF THE BL'S PRINCIPLE OF SOVEREIGNTY. IF THE BRITISH REALLY WANTED A THROUGH TRAIN, THEN THEY HAD TO ABIDE BY THE BL AND RECOGNISE THE SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE'S AUTHORITY IN INSPECTING TICKETS. THE TALKS COULD ONLY MAKE PROGRESS IF THE BRITISH NO LONGER INSISTED ON AN UNCONDITIONAL THROUGH TRAIN.
8. THE EDITORIAL WONDERED WHY THE BRITISH SIDE HAD REPEATEDLY EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE THROUGH TRAIN ON THE EVE OF THE THIRD ROUND. NOTING THAT THE POSTURE OF THE BRITISH WAS THAT THEY STILL SUPPORTED THE PATTEN PACKAGE, THE PAPER SAID IF THE BRITISH BRANCHED OUT TO SIDE ISSUES AND OVERTURNED PREVIOUS ACCORDS, THE TALKS WOULD ONLY BE DELAYED. IT FURTHER POINTED OUT THAT THE BRITISH DEMANDS THAT CHINA SHOULD RESOLVE THE QUESTION OF FOREIGN NATIONALS IN LEGCO EXCEEDING THE NUMBER STIPULATED IN THE BL AND THAT ALL LEGISLATORS RETURNED IN 1995 SHOULD BE ABLE TO RIDE THE THROUGH TRAIN UNCONDITIONALLY WERE BOTH IN BREACH OF THE BL.
9. TA KUNG PAO IN ITS EDITORIAL SAID THAT ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS MUST CONVERGE WITH THE BL IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE THE SMOOTH TRANSFER. CHINA SINCERELY HOPED THAT THE TALKS COULD MAKE PROGRESS AND CHINA'S CONSENT TO THE LAND DISPOSAL PROGRAMME AND THREE MAJOR FRANCHISES STRADDLING 1997 WAS EVIDENCE OF ITS SINCERITY. IT ALSO STRESSED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE DID NOT WANT THE TALKS TO DRAG ON. PROGRESS COULD BE MADE IF THE TALKS WERE BASED ON THE THREE COMPLIANCES AND IF BOTH SIDES SHOWED SINCERITY.
10. AN ARTICLE IN HK COMMERCIAL DAILY SPECULATED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD RECENTLY PUSHED MEETING POINT TO THE FOREFRONT BY MAKING
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