UNCLASSIFIED
pa. Press Roundups
TOP COPY Q DIST?
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1150
OF 141043Z JULY 93
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
HKB 301/2
056376 MDHIAN 8841
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
16 JUL 1993
REGISTRY Action Taken
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
19931
62
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORTS (14
TALKS
1.
QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD PROPOSED AT THE SEVENTH ROUND THAT THE ELECTION COMMITTEE SHOULD BE MADE UP OF THE FOUR SECTORS AS STIPULATED IN THE BL. THE CHINESE SIDE SUGGESTED THAT MEMBERS IN THE SECTOR OF FORMER POLITICAL FIGURES, HK DEPUTIES TO NPC AND CPPCC SHOULD BE SELECTED THROUGH ''DEMOCRATIC CONSULTATION'' WHILE CANDIDATES FOR THE OTHER THREE CATEGORIES COULD BE RETURNED THROUGH ELECTIONS. ON THE FCS, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD CONSIDER WHETHER CORPORATE VOTING OR INDIVIDUAL VOTING SHOULD BE ADOPTED TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE DIFFERENT NATURE OF THE FCS. SOURCES CLOSE TO HKG TOLD THE PAPER THAT THE BRITISH SIDE COULD NOT ACCEPT ''DEMOCRACTIC CONSULTATION AS IT WOULD BE IN BREACH OF THE PRINCIPLES OF OPENNESS, FAIRNESS AND ACCEPTABILITY TO HK. THE SOURCES ALSO DISCLOSED THAT THE TWO SIDES WERE WIDE APART ON THE FCS: THE BRITISH SIDE FOUND THE ELECTORAL BASE OF THE NINE FCS PROPOSED BY THE CHINESE SIDE TOO NARROW AND UNREPRESENTATIVE. THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD ASK THE CHINESE SIDE TO CLARIFY THEIR THINKING ON THE DEFINITION AND METHOD OF FORMATION OF THE NEW FCS BEFORE COMING UP WITH COUNTER-PROPOSALS.
2.
SING TAO DAILY LEARNT THAT THE ELECTORAL BILL WOULD BE PUT TO LEGCO IF NO AGREEMENT WAS REACHED BEFORE THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY ADDRESS IN OCTOBER. THE REPORT SAID THAT HKG DID NOT CONSIDER THAT THIS WOULD DEAL A HEAVY BLOW TO HK AS ECONOMIC GROWTH WAS SUSTAINED DESPITE REPEATED CHINESE CRITICISMS ON THE GOVERNOR'S POLITICAL PACKAGE.
3.
w
THE LEFT-WING COMMENTARIES CONTINUED TO ATTACK S OF S AND THE GOVERNOR FOR DESCRIBING HK AS A ''POLITICAL CITY
WEN WEI PO CRITICISED THE GOVERNOR FOR DESTROYING THE CO-ORDINATION MECHANISM BETWEEN EXCO AND LEGCO AND TURNING THE GOVERNMENT FROM EXECUTIVE- LED TO LEGISLATIVE-LED. THE PAPER CLAIMED THAT THE REAL MOTIVE OF THE GOVERNOR WAS TO BRING IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL FORCES TO
1
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