}
UNCLASSIFIED
053525
MDLIAN 4816
KONG HAD BECOME A POLITICAL CITY, MR QIAN SAID HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE MOST CONCERNED TO MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC, TRADE AND FINANCIAL STATUS IN ORDER TO SAFEGUARD ITS PROSPERITY. THIS SHOULD BE THE 'BIGGEST POLITICS. MR QIAN SAID 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. THERE WAS A NEED TO RESTORE TRUST AND CO-OPERATION.
10. ON THE MEETING BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND JIANG ZEMIN, MANY PAPERS HIGHLIGHTED (10.7) MR JIANG'S REMARKS IF BOTH
SIDES COULD STAND AT A VANTAGE POINT: LOOK FURTHER AHEAD: AND ADHERE STRICTLY TO THE THREE CONFORMITIES', IT WOULD NOT BE DIFFICULT TO REACH AN AGREEMENT. IF BOTH SIDES HAD THE SINCERITY, THERE WOULD BE A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND TRANSFER OF POWER WHICH WOULD BENEFIT HONG KONG, CHINA AND BRITAIN.
11. THE PAPERS ALSO PROMINENTLY REPORTED (10.7) MR HURD'S MEETING
WITH EXCO AND LEGCO MEMBERS. THE PAPERS QUOTED MEMBERS AS SAYING AFTER THE EXCO MEETING MR HURD HAD RAISED THREE IMPORTANT ISSUES WITH THE CHINESE SIDE: POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT, THE NEW AIRPORT AND THE WORK OF THE JLG. SOME PAPERS HIGHLIGHTED THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S REMARKS THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD NO INTENTION TO INTERFERE WITH CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS. LEGISLATORS QUOTED MR HURD AS SAYING THE CHINESE SIDE HAD MADE A COUNTER-PROPOSAL ON POLITICAL REFORMS AT THE SIXTH AND SEVENTH ROUNDS OF TALKS BUT THERE WERE STILL GREAT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. COMMENTARIES IN THE LOCAL PRESS WERE ALSO ENCOURAGED BY THE OUTCOME. ORIENTAL DAILY SAID THE MOST IMPORTANT ACHIEVEMENT WAS MR HURD HAD SUCCESSFULLY CLEARED THE OBSTACLES FOR SINO-BRITISH CO- OPERATION. THE LEFT-WING TA KUNG PAO AND WEN WEI PO HOWEVER STILL ADVOCATED A HARD-LINE STANCE ON THE THROUGH TRAIN.
SINO-BRITISH TALKS.
12. THE PAPERS REPORTED (7.7) IN GOOD COVERAGE THE CONCLUSION OF
THE SEVENTH ROUND OF TALKS. SIR ROBIN MCLAREN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING A LITTLE MORE PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE AND HE HOPED A GOOD ATMOSPHERE WOULD BE CREATED FOR THE MINISTERIAL MEETING.
13. ON PROGRESS OF THE TALKS, SING TAO DAILY QUOTED SOURCES (7.7) AS SAYING THE SEVENTH ROUND HAD BEEN THE MOST FRUITFUL ONE SO FAR. QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL REPORTED THE
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