05-MAR-1993 10:49
SINO-BRIT
TALKS
3.
P.003/006
Announcement: John Ellison of the Oriental Daily News, in the back-page lead. quoted an FCO official as confirming that the British Ambassador co Peking, Sir Robin McLaren, held a meeting with Chinese officials in Peking on Tuesday this week and a consensus had been reached in principle on reopening talks over HK's political development. The FCO official nored that the meetingwas held in a friendly atmosphere. The paper understood
that Six Robin was having the meeting with HIKMAO director Lu Ping. The paper played up in headlines that the Chinese and British sides would today announce details on the resumption of talks. London sources generally believed that an announcement would be made simultaneously in Peking, London_and_HK after the Governor made his statement in Lezco this afternoon. However, it was believed that Mr Patten would not take the lead to dilvuge de tails of the announcement when he met Legco members today.
The Economic Times, in the land story, noted in headlines that an announcement on resumption of talks would be made today,
Wah Kiu Yat Po understood that the mannership quastion was the stumbling block to resumption of Sino-British talks. A Chinese source said no announcement would be made today. Quating sources. the paper noted that the Chinese sida had lately refused to accept the SCA, Michael Sze, co represent the British side at future talks, saying that diplomatic talks should be represented by officials of the sovereign states. HK officials could only sit in the meetings to avoid the emergence of the "three legged. stool" situation.
The Express said in the lead's headlines that the Chinese and British sides still held different views on making an announcement on resumption of talks. The British sides did not agree that the seven diplomatic exchanges were some sort of "Sino-British understandings" Moreover, the Chinese side was dissatisfied with a posposal that many IIK officials had been included in the membership list of the British coam for future talks. IL was understood that an FCQ official bud said that the British side had the right to appoint its team members and that the IIK Government would not be excluded from the talks.
Quoting an authoritative source, Ming Pao reportad that the Governor and Exco members had decided not to gazette the reform Bill today. This would be the fourth time the Government had delayed the gazetcal. The Governor might not be able to tell Legao members today when Sino-British talks would resume. However, the source said that there might be last-minute change this morning and therefore did not rule out the possibility that an announcement. would be made today. It was understood that the Chinese and British sides had agreed to use the "three conformities" as the basis for future talks. However, the Chinese side did not accept an insistenca by the Governor to let HK people have a say in talks. The Chinese side's argument was that this would lead to a "three-legged scool" situation.
The EcuNOMIC Journal Salu (ITAL LUC CHINESE ana DULCIAN SIB00 011213 1 dl van
differences over some problems, the resumption of Sino-British talks would be postponed indefinitely.