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045470 MDHIAN 8301
QIAN QICHEN WOULD TAKE CONCRETE ACTION TO DEMONSTRATE CHINESE
SINCERITY AT THE MINISTERIAL MEETING TODAY. BOTH POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES WOULD BE TOUCHED ON. WANG WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT HE WAS OPTIMISTIC OF THE OUTCOME OF THE MEETING. WANG FURTHER SAID THAT THE NEW AIRPORT WOULD BE DISCUSSED, CONCENTRATING ON PRINCIPLES RATHER THAN DETAILS.
5. BOTH THE COMMERCIAL RADIO AND MING PAO`QUOTED CHINESE
OFFICIALS AS SAYING THAT CHINA WAS PLEASED WITH THE BRITISH PROPOSAL FOR A MINISTERIAL MEETING. QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, THE PAPER REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD MADE CONCRETE PROPOSALS ON THE FCS AND THE ELECTION COMMITTEE AND WAS AWAITING RESPONSE FROM THE BRITISH SIDE. THE PAPER UNDERSTOOD THAT THOSE PROPOSALS WERE MAINLY BASED ON THE SEVEN DIPLOMATIC EXCHANGES AND WERE STILL VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE.
6.
SING TAO DAILY QUOTED SOURCES AS SAYING THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD MADE CERTAIN TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENTS TO PROPOSALS ON THE THROUGH TRAIN AND S OF S 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.
7. ATV QUOTED BRITISH OFFICIAL SOURCES AS NOT EXPECTING AN
AGREEMENT OR A SIGNIFICANT BREAKTHROUGH TO BE ACHIEVED AT THE MINISTERIAL MEETING.
8.
A CNA COMMENTARY TOGETHER WITH COMMENTARIES IN THE LEFT-WING PRESS CONTINUED TO PICK ON S OF S'S EARLIER REMARKS THAT HONG KONG HAD BECOME A POLITICAL CITY. THEY ACCUSED BRITAIN FOR ATTEMPTING TO TURN HONG KONG INTO AN ARENA FOR INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL FORCES AND POSING OBSTACLES TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL TALKS.
AIRPORT.
9. NCNA VICE-DIRECTOR ZHU YUCHENG WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT CHINA
WAS EAGER TO RESOLVE THE AIRPORT ISSUE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AIRPORT MOU.
10. ORIENTAL DAILY QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES IN THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE
AS SAYING THAT THERE WAS STILL A CONSIDERABLE GAP BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES ON THE AIRPORT FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS. ON THE POSSIBILITY OF USING THE LAND FUND TO BUY AA BONDS, THE SOURCES SAID THAT IT WOULD DEPEND ON WHETHER THE FUND WOULD BE IN A POSITION TO DO so. QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES IN THE LAND COMMISSION, THE PAPER SAID THAT
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