UNCLASSIFIED
113632 MDLIAN 7959
HOWEVER, A MATTER FOR THE SARPC.
4. ACCORDING TO THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (21.7) THE CHINESE SIDE
WOULD HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY ON THE NINE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES
AND THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. AS LONG AS THE NEW CONSTITUENCIES WERE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO PROFESSIONS, WHICH ONE OF THEM WAS TO BE INCLUDED WAS NEGOTIABLE. ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE THE CHINESE SIDE MIGHT ACCEPT A 'ONE MAN, ONE VOTE, SYSTEM FOR CERTAIN CATEGORIES IF THE ELECTION COMMITTEE WAS FORMED IN ACCORDANCE WITH BL STIPULATIONS.
5. QUOTING BRITISH SOURCES (22.7) COMMERCIAL RADIO REPORTED BOTH
SIDES HAD ENGAGED IN IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS. SING PAO ALSO LEARNED BOTH SIDES HAD ENTERED INTO DETAILED DISCUSSION ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. AS REGARD THE THROUGH TRAIN, THE PAPER QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES AS SAYING THE CRITERIA HAD TO BE DECIDED BY THE SARPC IN 1996 BUT THE BRITISH SIDE COULD SET OUT THEIR VIEWS DURING THE TALKS.
6. ATV REPORTED (22.7) THE CHINESE SIDE HAD ADOPTED A DIFFERENT ATTITUDE IN THE TALKS FOLLOWING THE MEETING BETWEEN THE TWO FOREIGN MINISTERS. PROGRESS WAS LIKELY AND MORE FREQUENT MEETINGS WOULD BE NECESSARY.
7. THE CONCLUSION OF THE EIGHTH ROUND OF TALKS WAS REPORTED IN GOOD COVERAGE (23.7). SIR ROBIN MCLAREN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THE TALKS WERE CONDUCTED NORMALLY AND BOTH SIDES HAD SERIOUS DISCUSSIONS ON CONCRETE ISSUES. HE DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE PACE AND SAID THE
BRITISH SIDE HAD FOLLOWED CLOSELY GUIDELINES SET BY THE SECRETARY
OF STATE.
8. QUOTING A SOURCE WHO HAD DIRECT UNDERSTANDING OF THE TALKS, MING PAO REPORTED (23.7) THE MINISTERIAL MEETING HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO
BRING ABOUT A BREAKTHROUGH IN THE EIGHTH ROUND. BOTH SIDES STILL HAD WIDE DIFFERENCES. THE PAPER UNDERSTOOD THE CHINESE HAD ADOPTED A TOUGH STANCE OVER THE THROUGH TRAIN ISSUE AND HAD REFUSED TO DRAW UP ANY OBJECTIVE CRITERIA. THE SOURCE DESCRIBED THIS ROUND AS BEING FRUSTRATING WITH BOTH SIDES ONLY AGREEING TO CONTINUE THE NEGOTIATIONS.
9. QUOTING SOURCES CLOSE TO THE TALKS, THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL REPORTED (23.7) BOTH SIDES HAD STARTED BARGAINING OVER ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR 1995 BUT PROGRESS HAD BEEN SLOW. QUOTING CHINESE
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,