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CENTRE. INTERNATIONALISING HONG KONG ON THE POLITICAL FRONT WAS HOWEVER AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT MATTER. WHEN ASKED WHETHER THE PRESENCE OF THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS AT THE MINISTERIAL MEETING WOULD CREATE A THREE-LEGGED STOOL SITUATION, MR WU SAID THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF A THREE-LEGGED STOOL: HONG KONG WAS A MATTER FOR THE TWO SOVEREIGN GOVERNMENTS BEFORE 1997, AND A MATTER FOR CHINA AFTER 1997.
5. SING TAO DAILY (9.7) QUOTED SOURCES AS SAYING THE BRITISH SIDE
HAD MADE CERTAIN TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENTS TO PROPOSALS ON THE THROUGH TRAIN AND MR HURD WOULD ASK THE CHINESE SIDE TO MAKE RECIPROCAL ADJUSTMENTS. SHOULD THE CHINESE RESPOND POSITIVELY, THE TWO SIDES WOULD AT LEAST HOLD TWO MORE ROUNDS OF NEGOTIATIONS.
6. A CHINA NEWS AGENCY COMMENTARY (9.7) TOGETHER WITH
COMMENTARIES IN THE LEFT-WING PRESS CONTINUED TO PICK ON MR HURD'S EARLIER REMARKS THAT HONG KONG HAD BECOME A POLITICAL CITY. THEY ACCUSED BRITAIN FOR ATTEMPTING TO TURN HONG KONG INTO AN AREA FOR INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL FORCES AND POSING OBSTACLES TO THE
CONSTITUTIONAL TALKS.
THE PAPERS (10.7) ACCORDED EXTENSIVE COVERAGE TO MR HURD'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 1 OF THE CENTRAL/WANCHAI RECLAMATION PROJECT: DATES FOR JLG TALKS: AND ANOTHER MINISTERIAL MEETING IN SEPTEMBER TO REVIEW THE PROGRESS OF
THE POLITICAL TALKS.
8.
TV STATIONS QUOTED MR HURD AS DESCRIBING THE MEETINGS AS 'POSITIVE' AND 'FORWARD-LOOKING'. ACCORDING TO THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL, MR HURD SAID FURTHER DISCUSSION WOULD FOCUS ON THE FORMATION OF THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, THE ELECTION COMMITTEE AND THE THROUGH TRAIN. HE STRESSED 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. MR HURD SAID THE NEXT MINISTERIAL MEETING IN SEPTEMBER
SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS A DEADLINE FOR THE TALKS.
9.
QIAN QICHEN WAS QUOTED (10.7) AS SAYING NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, CHINA WOULD RESUME SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE. ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS' WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED TO MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S LONG-TERM PROSPERITY AND STABILITY. ON MR HURD'S EARLIER REMARKS THAT HONG
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