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MDLIAN 0728
CHINESE SOURCES, SING TAO DAILY ALSO REPORTED THE NINE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WOULD BE FORMED ON THE SAME BASIS AS EXISTING FCS. GIVEN THE COMPLICATIONS CAUSED BY THE BRITISH SIDE BEFORE THE TALKS, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT WHETHER THE TWO SIDES COULD SETTLE THE FCS AT THIS ROUND. THE REPORT ADDED THAT NO PROGRESS WAS MADE ON THE QUESTION OF THE THROUGH TRAIN.
5. THE CHINA NEWS AGENCY DISPATCHED A REPORT (15.6) WHICH SAID THE THREE PETTY TRICKS BY THE BRITISH SIDE AND EXCO MEMBER EDWARD CHEN'S PROPOSAL OF FLEXIBLE TREATMENT ON THE NUMBER OF OVERSEAS COURT OF FINAL APPEAL JUDGES DEMONSTRATED A LACK OF SINCERITY AND TRUST-WORTHINESS ON THE PART OF THE BRITISH SIDE. IF DIPLOMATIC AGREEMENTS COULD BE TREATED FLEXIBLY OR EVEN REOPENED FOR AMENDMENTS, THEN THE ON-GOING TALKS WOULD BE A WASTE OF TIME. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDED BY ECHOING LU PING'S EARLIER REMARKS THAT NO MATTER WHETHER THE TALKS WERE SUCCESSFUL, THE CHINESE SIDE WERE CONFIDENT ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN HK'S CONTINUED STABILITY
AND PROSPERITY.
6. MOST PAPERS NOTED (16.6) SIR ROBIN MCLAREN'S REMARKS THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD TAKEN A SERIES OF POSITIVE ACTIONS BUT SIR ROBIN DECLINED TO REVEAL THE DETAILS. THE CONCLUSION OF THE FIFTH ROUND WITH NO ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS EXCEPT AN AGREEMENT TO MEET AGAIN THE FOLLOWING WEEK WAS WIDELY REPORTED (17.6). MANY NOTED SIR ROBIN CLARIFIED HIS PREVIOUS REMARKS ON POSITIVE MOVES' BY THE BRITISH SIDE. SIR ROBIN SAID HE WAS NOT REFERRING TO MOVES MADE IN RELATION TO THE TALKS ON CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT BUT OTHERS INCLUDING THOSE MADE IN RELATION TO THE AIRPORT. WHEN ASKED WHETHER THE ISSUE OF 'SINCERITY' HAD BEEN RESOLVED, SIR ROBIN SAID BOTH SIDES HAD NOT SPENT MUCH TIME ON THIS ISSUE AND HE DID NOT BELIEVE IT WOULD CAUSE OBSTACLES TO THE TALKS.
7. VICE DIRECTOR OF NCNA HONG KONG, ZHU YUCHENG, WAS REPORTED BY WEN WEI, UNITED DAILY AND TIN TIN (16.6) AS SAYING IF THE BRITISH SIDE CLAIMED TO HAVE SINCERITY, THEY SHOULD PRODUCE SOME ACTIONS, NOT JUST WORDS, AND SHOULD ABIDE BY THE AGREEMENTS REACHED BY BOTH SIDES AND THE PRINCIPLE OF 'THREE CONFORMITIES'.
8. TA KUNG QUOTED (16.6) A RTHK REPORT SAYING THE BRITISH SIDE SEEMED TO HAVE GIVEN UP AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE. THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES HAD AGREED IN PRINCIPLE THAT FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS SHOULD BE BASED ON THE PUBLICLY RECOGNISED ORGANISATIONS AND PROFESSIONS. THERE WERE SIMILAR REPORTS IN SING PAO, TIN TIN DAILY AND BY THE COMMERCIAL RADIO.
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