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ISTRY
07 JUL 1993
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INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1086
OF 05115OZ JULY 93
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
s. Puss
pa.
Roundy's
031512
MDHIAN 7609
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CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORTS 5 JULY 1993.
S OF S'S VISIT:
1.
SOME PAPERS QUOTED SIR ROBIN MCLAREN AS SAYING BEFORE THE SEVENTH ROUND OF TALKS THAT ARRANGEMENTS HAD NOT BEEN MADE FOR
AN THE GOVERNOR TO MEET LU PING. ACCORDING TO THE UNITED DAILY, 'AUTHORITATIVE' SOURCE DISCLOSED THAT BRITAIN AND CHINA MIGHT MAKE PEACE AFTER THE SEVENTH ROUND OF TALKS AND IT WAS LIKELY THAT A MOU WOULD BE SIGNED AFTER S OF S'S VISIT.
2.
ON 3 JULY, NCNA VICE DIRECTOR ZHANG JUNSHENG AND DEPARTMENT CHIEF OF HKMAO CHEN ZUO'ER WERE REPORTED TO WELCOME S OF S'S FORTHCOMING VISIT TO CHINA. THEY HOPED THAT THE VISIT WOULD FURTHER SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS AND HELP TO UNBLOCK THE IMPASSE ON THE AIRPORT FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS.
3.
SOME PAPER QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES AS SAYING THAT QIAN QICHEN WOULD SHORTLY HOLD MEETINGS WITH HKMAO OFFICIALS, NCNA DIRECTOR ZHOU NAN AND GUO FENGMIN TO DISCUSS NEGOTIATING STRATEGIES AND BOTTOM LINES IN PREPARATION OF S OF S'S VISIT. SOURCES DISCLOSED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE RECOGNISED THAT THERE WERE TIME CONSTRAINTS FOR THE TALKS AND WERE PREPARED TO DEAL FIRST WITH THE 1994 ELECTIONS, LEAVING THE 1995 ELECTIONS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. REGARDING THE FOUR DEMANDS PUT FORWARD BY THE BRITISH SIDE, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD ONLY AGREE TO DISCUSS THE THROUGH TRAIN: THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE WAS A MATTER FOR THE CHINESE SIDE: WHETHER THE LEGISLATURE IN THE YEAR 2007 SHOULD BE FULLY ELECTED SHOULD BE LEFT FOR THE SARG TO DECIDE: AND ON THE COMPOSITION OF ELECTION COMMITTEE THE ELECTION COMMITTEE FOR THE CE, THE BL SPECIFIED A DIFFERENT NUMBER OF MEMBERS FOR THE TWO COMMITTEES.
QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, SING TAO DAILY REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD RAISE CONCRETE PROPOSALS IN THE SEVENTH ROUND OF TALKS ON HOW THE EC AND THE NINE FC'S SHOULD BE FORMED. ON THE EC, THE PAPER SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD AGREE TO A 'ONE
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