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THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL, QUOTING (8.3) BRITISH GOVERNMENT SOURCES, SAID THE PRIME MINISTER WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POLITICAL QUESTIONS CAUSED BY THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE AND AT THE URGING OF THE GOVERNOR, HAD UPGRADED THE HANDLING OF HK ISSUES. THE PAPER ALSO QUOTED LONDON SOURCES AS SAYING TALKS WOULD RESUME VERY SOON AND THE GOVERNOR WOULD GET AN ASSURANCE FROM MR MAJOR THAT IN DEALING WITH THE HK DEMOCRACY ISSUE, THE GOVERNOR TOGETHER WITH EXCO AND LEGCO WOULD NOT BE KEPT IN THE DARK.
7. QUOTING A SOURCE FAMILIAR WITH CHINESE THINKING, MING PAO (8.3) SAID THE CHINESE SIDE REGARDED THE GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT IN LEGCO AS ANOTHER 'SHOW' WHICH DID NOT INDICATE THE BRITISH SIDE'S SINCERITY FOR RESUMING TALKS. THE CHINESE SIDE CONSIDERED THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE GAZETTING OF THE BILL WAS A PUBLICITY STRATEGY. SING TAO DAILY UNDERSTOOD THE CHINESE SIDE INSISTED ONLY THE LEADER AND HIS DEPUTY OF THE NEGOTIATION TEAM WOULD BE FORMAL MEMBERS. THE OTHER MEMBERS WOULD ONLY BE COUNTED AS WORKING MEMBERS. THIS WOULD DEPRIVE HKG OFFICIALS FROM HAVING THE RIGHT TO SPEAK AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. THE SOURCES INDICATED WORKING MEMBERS COULD ONLY DO BACKGROUND WORK AND MIGHT BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE MEETING WHEN SENSITIVE ISSUES WERE RAISED. HOWEVER, THE BRITISH SIDE INSISTED ON HKG OFFICIALS PARTICIPATING IN THE TALKS. THE SCMP QUOTED AN INFORMED CHINESE SOURCE CLAIMING THE BRITISH SIDE HAD ALREADY AGREED TO CHINA'S CONDITIONS OF PUTTING ASIDE THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE TO RESUME TALKS. THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD REJECT THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS TO BROADEN THE FRANCHISE OF THE ADDITIONAL NINE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND TO FORM THE ELECTION COMMITTEE BY ALL DIRECTLY ELECTED DB MEMBERS. THE CHINES SIDE WOULD ALSO DEMAND THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES TO INTRODUCE EFFECTIVE REGULATIONS TO LIMIT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FOREIGN PASSPORT HOLDERS IN LEGCO TO ONLY 12 BY 1995, AND TO IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS ON THE ELIGIBILITY OF LEGCO ELECTION CANDIDATES IN 1995 TO ENSURE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES WOULD NOT GET ON THE 'THROUGH TRAIN'
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8. NCNA HK DIRECTOR ZHOU NAN WAS WIDELY QUOTED (9.3) AS SAYING THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WELCOMED THE BRITISH SIDE'S INDICATION OF WILLINGNESS TO RESUME TALKS. MR ZHOU REITERATED THE HK QUESTION BEFORE 1997 WAS A BILATERAL ISSUE BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA AND WOULD NOT ALLOW FOR ANY INTERFERENCE BY A THIRD PARTY. A SIGNED COMMENTARY IN THE CNA DISCLOSED THE COMPOSITION OF THE BRITISH TEAM AND THE UNWILLINGNESS OF THE BRITISH SIDE TO GUARANTEE ANY AGREEMENT REACHED WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED WERE THE TWO STUMBLING BLOCKS TO RESUMPTION OF TALKS. QUOTING A SOURCE WAH KIU YAT PO
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