UNCLASSIFIED
324
MDHIAN 682
WEN WEI
5.
EDITORIAL
WEN WEI PO'S EDITORIAL TODAY CONTINUED TO ACCUSE US OF PLAYING MEGAPHONE DIPLOMACY ON THE ISSUES OF THE THROUGH TRAIN, STATUS OF HKG OFFICIALS AND THE STARTING POSITION OF THE TALKS. THIS WAS AIMED AT SHIFTING THE THEME OF THE TALKS AND DIVERTING PUBLIC ATTENTION FROM WHETHER THE BRITISH WERE RETURNING TO THE PATH OF THE THREE COMPLIANCES. THIS ONCE AGAIN SHOWED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD NO SINCERITY ABOUT AND WERE CREATING OBSTACLES FOR THE TALKS.
6.
THE EDITORIAL SAID THAT THE CHINESE WOULD CERTAINLY ASK THE BRITISH TO REPLY IF THEY WOULD ABANDON THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE CONTAINING THE THREE VIOLATIONS. IF THE BRITISH WERE WILLING TO ABANDON THE PACKAGE, THE DETAILS OF THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS COULD BE DISCUSSED. IF THE BRITISH STILL INSISTED THAT THE PATTEN PACKAGE WAS IN LINE WITH THE THREE COMPLIANCES, THEN NOTHING COULD BE DISCUSSED.
TA KUNG COMMENTARY
7. A COMMENTARY IN TA KUNG PAO SAID THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO NEED FOR THE TALKS HAD WE FOLLOWED THE THREE COMPLIANCES. WHETHER THE TALKS COULD GO ON SMOOTHLY AND AGREEMENT REACHED IN A SHORT TIME WOULD DEPEND ON THE SINCERITY AND ATTITUDE OF THE BRITISH. IF THE TALKS COULD PROCEED BASED ON THE THREE COMPLIANCES, RESULTS COULD BE YIELDED MORE QUICKLY THAN THE ''ONE-MONTH DEADLINE SET BY THE GOVERNOR''. OTHERWISE THE TALKS COULD DRAG ON FOR MONTHS SINCE CHINA WOULD NOT GIVE WAY ON
PRINCIPLES.
TSANG TAK-SING
ΤΟ
8.
NPC DEPUTY AND HK AFFAIRS ADVISER TSANG TAK-SING SAID THE TALKS WOULD NOT MAKE PROGRESS IF THE BRITISH SIDE DID NOT ABANDON THE PATTEN PACKAGE. ON THE THROUGH TRAIN, HE SAID THE NPC DECISION HAD DELEGATED THE POWER OF CHECKING THE TICKETS THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE. THEREFORE THE CHINESE REPRESENTATIVE TO THE TALKS WOULD HAVE NO RIGHT TO MAKE ANY PROMISE OF SKIPPING THE 'CHECKING'' PROCEDURE. HE SAID THE CRITERIA FOR ''CHECKING THE TICKETS COULD BE DRAFTED BY THE PRELIMINARY WORK ORGAN OF
THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE.
PATTEN
"
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