UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1053
UNCLASSIFIED
HKB 301/2
RECEIVED IN
MISTRY
01 JUL 1993
pa
PRES
Ronaday
015616 MDLIAN 1866
49
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Action Taker
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OF 290935Z JUNE 93
INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA
PART ONE OF TWO
HONG KONG FUTURE : PRESS COVERAGE: (22.6
SUMMARY
1.
C
29.6)
SPECULATION CONTINUED ON THE CONTENT/PROGRESS OF THE TALKS ON
THE LACK THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS AND THAT OF THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE.
WIDE OF PROGRESS IN THE LATEST ROUND OF JLG MEETINGS WAS NOTED. COVERAGE WAS ALSO GIVEN TO THE COMPOSITION/ROLE OF THE WORK ORGAN OF THE SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE.
SINO-BRITISH TALKS
2*
CHEN ZIYING WAS QUOTED (22.6) BY A VISITING HK LABOUR DELEGATION AS SAYING SINCERITY CAME FROM THREE SOURCES: WHETHER THE TWO SIDES STILL UPHELD PREVIOUS SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENTS AND UNDERSTANDINGS: WHETHER THEY WOULD IMPLEMENT THE COMMON GOAL OF MAINTAINING HK'S SOCIAL STABILITY AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY: AND WHETHER THEY WOULD RESOLVE MATTERS THROUGH CO-OPERATIVE
CONSULTATION.
3.
SOME PAPERS REPORTED (22.6) SIR ROBIN MCLAREN HAD REACTED STRONGLY TO PRESS QUESTIONS ABOUT SINCERITY AND THE POSSIBILITY THE TALKS MIGHT BREAK DOWN. HE WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID IT WAS COMMON CHINESE PRACTICE TO PUSH RESPONSIBILITY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE NEGOTIATION TABLE, AND HE SAW NO REASON TO EXPECT A BREAK DOWN OF THE TALKS.
4. COMMENTARIES IN THE LEFT-WING PRESS (22.6) CONTINUED TO REPLAY CHINESE LINES ON LACK OF SINCERITY ON THE PART OF THE BRITISH SIDE: ON IMPORTANCE OF THE THREE CONFORMITIES: AND THAT CHINA WAS PREPARED FOR THE WORST CASE SCENARIO BY ESTABLISHING THE WORK ORGAN OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE.
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