17-MAR-1993
17-MAR-1993
18:20
17:50
HK GOVERNMENT HOUSE
G.I.S.
852 521 1868
P.07
T
ON THE
PARTICIPATE IN THE TALKS AS ADVISERS OR EXPERTS AND THE BRITISH SIDE SHOULD ALSO FOLLOW THE SAME METHOD. WELL, WE PUT FORWARD THIS IDEA ON THE 11 MARCH.
FROM AFTER WE PUT FORWARD OUR PROPOSAL, THE REACTION SIDE BRITISK
WAS THAT THIS IS A NEW STEP THAT THE CHINESE SIDE IS GOING TO TAKE AND THE BRITISH SIDE AGREED THAT IT TOO WOULD REPORT OUR PROPOSAL IMMEDIATELY BACK TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
MORNING OF 12 MARCH, THAT IS ON FRIDAY, WE RECEIVED THE FORMAL REPLY FROM THE BRITISH SIDE, THAT IS THE BRITISH SIDE WILL NOT AGREE TO THE METHOD THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED. THE BRITISH SIDE INSISTED THAT THERE SHOULD BE THE A DELEGATION OR A TEAM. THEY DID NOT AGREE TO OUR PROPOSAL THAT MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE TALKS AS ADVISERS OR EXPERTS.
WITH REGARD TO THE SECOND QUESTION ON THE DATE FOR THE START OF THE TALKS. ON 11 MARCH, THE CHINESE SIDE SAID THAT IF THE ISSUE OF THE FORM OF REPRESENTATION CAN BE RESOLVED THEN WE CAN START OUR TALKS IN THE MIDDLE OR LATTER HALF OF MARCH. WE CAN HAVE SPECIFIC DISCUSSIONS ON THE DATE OF THE START OF THE TALKS. THE BRITISH SIDE BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS A GOOD PROPOSAL. SO, BEFORE 12 MARCH, THE CHINESE SIDE WAS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE START OF THE TALKS. WE BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE FEWER DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR TWO SIDES IN THE COURSE OF THE CONSULTATIONS AND THE BRITISH SIDE ALSO AGREED THAT
I WOULD APPOINT ONE REPRESENTATIVE WHICH WILL BE THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO CHINA. HOWEVER. WHILE AGREEING TO THIS POINT, THE BRITISH SIDE INSISTED THAT THERE WOULD BE A TEAM OR A DELEGATION AND OTHER PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN THE TALKS SHOULD BE MEMBERS OF THIS TEAM. WELL, THIS IS ILLOGICAL BECAUSE IF IT IS GOING TO BE TALKS BETWEEN THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TWO GOVERNMENTS THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY DELEGATIONS OR TEAMS, SQ HOW WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE A DELEGATION. THERE IS NO DIPLOMATIC PRECEDENCE IN THIS REGARD. SO, AT THAT TIME, WE BELIEVED THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD BE RESOLVED. UNFORTUNATELY, AT 10:30 ON THE MORNING OF THE 12 MARCH, THE BRITISH SIDE CONTACTED US SAYING THAT THE OTHER MEMBERS MUST PARTICIPATE IN THE TALKS AS MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH TEAM, THEY STILL WOULD NOT AGREE TO THE IDEA OF LETTING THEM PARTICIPATE IN THE TALKS AS ADVISERS OR EXPERTS. MOREOVER THE BRITISH SIDE SAID THAT THAT WAS THE FINAL DECISION OF THE BRITISH SIDE WHICH WOULD NOT CHANGE. THIS DECISION OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS IRREVOKABLE. AT 2.45 ON THAT AFTERNOON, WE RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN BEÍJING TELLING US THAT THE BRITISH HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS MADE THE DECISION THAT IT WOULD MAKE A STATEMENT TO THE LEGCO AT 3 O'CLOCK ON THE AFTERNOON TO GAZETTE THE CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE OF THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG. THIS IS WHAT REALLY HAPPENED. THAT IS WHY WE SAID THAT WE WERE SHOCKED WHEN WE LEARNED THE NEWS AND THAT IS WHY WE SAY THAT THE GOVERNOR HONG KONG, MR FATTEN, NEVER HAD ANY SINCERITY FOR THE TALKS SINCE VERY BEGINNING OF THE CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN. TAKING THE STEP THAT HE HAS TAKEN, HE IS DELIBERATELY UNDERMINING TALKS AND HE HAS TAKEN AN EXTREMELY IRRESPONSIBLE ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. HE SIMPLY REFUSES TO CONSIDER THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG, THAT IS WHY I SAY THAT IN THE HISTORY OF HONG KONG, CHRIS PATTEN WILL BECOME A MAN OF GUILT.
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