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HKB 301/2
REC
GISTRY
07 JUL 1993
pa
Press Roundups
030113
MDHIAN 7496
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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1081
OF 030508Z JULY 93
REGISTRY Action Taken
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING
TOP COPY
Q DIST?
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORTS (3 JULY)
PREPARATORY WORKING COMMITTEE
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PREPARATORY WORKING COMMITTEE WAS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED AT THE CLOSING SESSION OF THE NPC/SC HELD ON 2 JULY MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE IS REPORTED IN A SEPARATE
1.
·
TELELETTER. THE PAPERS NOTED THAT THE FIRST MEETING OF THE WORKING COMMITTEE WILL BE HELD ON 16 JULY IN PEKING. NPC CHAIRMAN QIAO SHI WAS QUOTED AS SAYING AFTER YESTERDAY'S MEETING THAT THE SETTING UP
OF THE COMMITTEE WOULD BE CONDUCIVE TO A SMOOTH TRANSITION.
2 =
REACTIONS TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMITTEE WERE MIXED. LEGISLATOR ALLEN LEE WAS WORRIED THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD BECOME A SHADOW GOVERNMENT. FORMER LEGCO MEMBER RITA FAN AND FORMER BLDC MEMBER RAYMOND WU, BOTH BEING APPOINTEES TO THE WORKING COMMITTEE, SAID THAT IT WOULD NOT FORM A SECOND CENTRE OF POWER. DAB CHAIRMAN TSANG YOK-SING SUGGESTED THAT THE COMMITTEE SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO HELD POLITICAL VIEWS DIFFERENT FROM THOSE OF THE
PRC.
S OF S VISIT
3.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF S OF S'S VISIT TO PEKING WAS PROMINENTLY REPORTED BY THE PAPERS. S OF S WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT HE WOULD NOT TAKE ANY NEW PROPOSAL TO PEKING NOR WOULD HE NEGOTIATE DURING THE TRIP. HIS MISSION WAS TO DEFINE WHAT BRITAIN REGARDED AS THE
ESSENTIAL PARTS OF THE NEGOTIATION INCLUDING OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR A THROUGH TRAIN.
4.
QUOTING BRITISH SOURCES, THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD PUT FORWARD CONCRETE VIEWS ON ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS AT THE PAST TWO ROUNDS OF TALKS, AND IT WAS EXPECTED THAT THEY WOULD FURTHER CLARIFY THEIR POSITION AT THE SEVENTH ROUND. SOME PAPERS UNDERSTOOD THAT S OF S WOULD STRESS THAT THE THROUGH TRAIN WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT, AND WOULD MAKE CLEAR
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