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015616 MDLIAN 1866

IF THE BRITISH SIDE HAD MADE THE DEMAND, THEY WOULD BE INTERFERING IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF CHINA. MR ZHENG HOWEVER WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT CHINA WOULD SEEK THE VIEWS OF THE BRITISH SIDE THROUGH INFORMAL CHANNELS ON THE SETTING UP OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE, SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS DONE DURING THE DRAFTING OF THE BL.

11. WEN WEI PO (26.6) CONTINUED WITH ITS ATTEMPT TO PUT THE RESPONSIBILITY ON THE BRITISH SIDE FOR FIRST LEAKING THE CONTENTS OF THE TALKS. THE PAPER ACCUSED THE GOVERNOR FOR DISCLOSING IN HIS INTERVIEW WITH THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL THE DEMANDS MADE BY THE BRITISH SIDE AT THE NEGOTIATION TABLE. IT ALSO CITED VARIOUS EARLIER REPORTS IN OTHER PAPERS WHICH DISCLOSED DETAILS OF THE TALKS PROVIDED BY BRITISH SOURCES OR 'SOURCES CLOSE TO EXCO'.

HE

12. ORIENTAL DAILY QUOTED THE INFORMATION CO-ORDINATOR AS EXPRESSING SURPRISE IN RESPECT OF REPEATED CHINESE BREACHES OF THE RULE OF CONFIDENTIALITY WHICH THEY THEMSELVES HAD PROPOSED. SAID THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD CONTINUE TO ABIDE BY THE CONFIDENTIALITY RULE.

MR

13. SCMP (28.6) REPORTED LU PING HAD TOLD THE VISITING MEETING POINT DELEGATION THAT CHINA WOULD STAND FIRM ON THE THROUGH TRAIN, FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS AND THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. ACCORDING TO A DELEGATE MR LU SAID HE WAS READY TO MAKE CERTAIN CONCESSIONS IN THE TALKS AND WAS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE OUTCOME. LU TOLD THE DELEGATION CHINA COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT ALL LEGISLATORS IN 1995 WOULD SIT ON THE 1997 LEGISLATURE. AS FOR THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, IT SHOULD COMPOSE FOUR SECTORS INSTEAD OF ELECTED DB MEMBERS ALONE, BUT IT SHOULD BE ELECTED AND NOT BE APPOINTED. THE PAPER ALSO QUOTED A BRITISH SOURCE AS HINTING PROGRESS AT THE SIXTH ROUND WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY CONCESSIONS FROM BOTH SIDES.

14.

SEVERAL PAPERS (28.6) CARRIED A REPORT IN THE SUNDAY MORNING POST THAT A CABINET BRIEFING PAPER RECOMMENDED TALKS SHOULD CONTINUE UNTIL AT LEAST SEPTEMBER. ACCORDING TO THE PAPER, THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE GOVERNOR WERE IRRITATED AT THE STALLING TACTICS OF THE CHINESE SIDE. A LONDON SOURCE TOLD THE PAPER THAT THE REAL ISSUE AT THE MEETING WAS WHETHER TO TURN THE AUTUMN EXTENSION INTO A DEADLINE AND WHETHER, AT THE SAME TIME, TO ANNOUNCE A CLOSING DATE FOR THE TALKS.

15.

A CHINA NEWS AGENCY DISPATCH (29.6) ASKING THE GOVERNOR TO RESPECT THE VIEWS OF HK PEOPLE AND REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH THE

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