+
UNCLASSIFIED
HKB 301/2 ISTRY
RECE
03 1993
ра
(64)
047545 MDHIAN 8392
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO
1123
OF 100543Z JULY 93
DESAL
REGISTRY
INDEX
PA
Action Taken
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP COPY Q DIST?
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRESS REPORTS X10 JULY 1993)
S OF S'S VISIT
1.
THE PAPERS ACCORDED EXTENSIVE COVERAGE TO S OF S'S MEETINGS WITH QIAN QICHEN AND JIANG ZEMIN. MANY PAPERS HIGHLIGHTED THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MINISTERIAL MEETING: AGREEMENT TO SPEED UP THE TALKS, CHINA'S ENDORSEMENT OF PHASE I OF THE CENTRAL/WANCHAI RECLAMATION PROJECT: DATES FOR JLG TALKS: AND ANOTHER MINISTERIAL
MEETING IN SEPTEMBER TO REVIEW THE PROGRESS OF THE POLITICAL TALKS.
2.
TV STATIONS QUOTED S OF S AS DESCRIBING THE MEETINGS AS ''POSITIVE AND ''FORWARD-LOOKING''. ACCORDING TO THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL, S OF S SAID THAT FURTHER DISCUSSION WOULD FOCUS ON THE FORMATION OF THE FCS, THE ELECTION COMMITTEE AND THE THROUGH TRAIN. HE STRESSED THAT BRITAIN ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE TO ESTABLISHING A SET OF OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN, ON WHICH THE CHINESE SIDE HAD YET TO MAKE SPECIFIC PROPOSALS. S OF S SAID THAT
THE NEXT MINISTERIAL MEETING IN SEPTEMBER SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS A
DEADLINE FOR THE TALKS. HE ADDED THAT THERE WAS NO HIDDEN AGENDA
AT THE MEETING.
3
QIAN QICHEN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED
IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, CHINA WOULD RESUME SOVEREIGNTY OVER HK ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE. ''ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED TO MAINTAIN HK'S LONG-TERM PROSPERITY AND STABILITY. ON S OF S'S REMARKS THAT HK HAD BECOME A POLITICAL CITY, QIAN SAID THAT HK PEOPLE WERE MOST CONCERNED TO MAINTAIN HK'S ECONOMIC, TRADE AND FINANCIAL STATUS IN ORDER TO SAFEGUARD ITS PROSPERITY. THIS SHOULD BE THE ''BIGGEST POLITICS . QIAN SAID THAT THE MISSION OF THE TWO SIDES SHOULD BE TO REALISE THESE GOALS ON THE BASIS OF THE JD, THE PRINCIPLE OF CONVERGENCE WITH THE BL AND PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS AND UNDERSTANDINGS REACHED BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. WAS A NEED TO RESTORE TRUST AND CO-OPERATION.
4.
ON THE MEETING BETWEEN S OF S AND JIANG ZEMIN, MANY PAPERS
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UNCLASSIFIED
THERE