UNCLASSIFIED
172455
MDHIAN 5580
TALKS AND, WHEN ASKED WHETHER A DEADLINE WOULD BE SET FOR THE TALKS, THAT TIME WAS NOT INFINITE AND HE HOPED THERE WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TIME TO GET A GOOD SETTLEMENT. EXCO MEMBERS ROSANNA WONG, FELICE MAK AND RAYMOND CHIEN WERE REPORTED TO HAVE EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT THERE WAS AT PRESENT NO NEED TO SET A DEADLINE FOR
THE TALKS.
4.
COMMENTARIES IN WEN WEI PO ATTRIBUTED THE SLOW PROGRESS ON THE TALKS TO THE GOVERNOR'S INSISTENCE ON HIS CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE. THE PAPER CRITICISED THE GOVERNOR FOR DEPLOYING DELAYING TACTICS, ACCUSED THE BRITISH SIDE OF SPREADING RUMOURS THAT SEPTEMBER WAS A DEADLINE FOR THE TALKS. SEPARATELY, THE PAPER REPORTED IN PROMINENT COVERAGE A SEMINAR ORGANISED BY LOCAL CPPCC DELEGATES AND REMARKS MADE BY A NUMBER OF HK AFFAIRS ADVISERS ON RECENT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS. A REPLAY OF CHINESE POSITIONS WAS MADE IN FAMILIAR TERMS: LACK OF SINCERITY ON THE PART OF THE BRITISH SIDE: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ''THREE CONFORMITIES'' AND THAT THE PETTY TRICKS POSED OBSTACLES TO THE ON-GOING TALKS.
5.
ON THE GOVERNOR'S FORTHCOMING TRIP TO LONDON, WAH KIU YAT PO QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES AS SAYING THAT CHINA WAS NOT WORRIED ABOUT POSSIBLE CABINET DECISION TO DISCONTINUE THE TALKS, AS CHINA HAD MADE QUOTE TWO-FRONT PREPARATIONS UNQUOTE, I.E. SETTING UP THE PRELIMINARY WORK ORGAN OF THE SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE. ACCORDING TO SCMP, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF NPC'S LAW COMMITTEE XIANG CHUNYI HAD SAID THAT THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE WOULD ANNOUNCE THE ESTABLISHMENT AND MEMBERSHIP OF THE WORK ORGAN NEXT WEEK.
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
IT WAS DECIDED AT THE LEGCO HOUSE COMMITTEE MEETING ON 18 JUNE THAT AN AD HOC COMMITTEE SHOULD BE SET UP TO STUDY EFFECTS OF THE MERGER OF THE YAU TSIM AND MONGKOK DBS.
6.
7.
AT THE SAME MEETING THE HOUSE COMMITTEE CRITICISED THE IC FOR MISLEADING THE PUBLIC BY SAYING IN A LETTER TO SCMP THAT LEGCO HAD REJECTED THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSAL TO SET UP A GOVERNMENT/LEGCO COMMITTEE TO ENHANCE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN EXCO AND LEGCO. LEGISLATOR SELINA CHOW POINTED OUT THAT LEGCO HAD ONLY INDICATED THAT THERE WAS MUCH LEFT TO BE DESIRED IN THE PROPOSAL, AND THAT WAYS TO ENHANCE COMMUNICATION COULD BE CONSIDERED AGAIN IN DUE COURSE.
PATTEN
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