UNCLASSIFIED
123350 MDLIAN 6671
TIMES REPORT
4. A NUMBER OF PAPERS QUOTED A TIMES REPORT SAID THAT CHINESE SIDE HAD GAINED THE UPPER HAND IN THE TALKS. THEY HAD INDICATED TO THE PRESS THAT THE BRITISH WERE GRADUALLY GIVING WAY AND THE ONLY OUTSTANDING ISSUE WAS THAT OF THE THROUGH TRAIN. ACCORDING TO LOCAL PRESS REPORTS, THE TIMES ARTICLE SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD VERBALLY AGREE TO LET MARTIN LEE AND SZETO WAH, WITHOUT NAMING THEM DIRECTLY, BOARD THE THROUGH TRAIN AS LONG AS THEY WERE WILLING TO ALLEGIANCE TO THE SAR AND THE BL. THIS WOULD GIVE THE BRITISH SIDE 'SOME FACE'.
LEFT-WING COMMENTARY
5. COMMENTARIES IN THE LEFT-WING PAPERS CONTINUED TODAY TO ATTACK THE PASSAGE OF THE BEC BILL AND THE LEGCO PANEL'S DECISION TO DISCUSS THE GAZETTED PACKAGE. A PROMINENT COMMENTARY IN WEN WEI PO SAID THAT THE BEC, WITH WIDE-RANGING AND SUBSTANTIVE POWERS, WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE. IT WAS FAR FROM A MERELY TECHNICAL PIECE OF LEGISLATION. THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL HAD MARKED THE BEGINNING OF THE GOVERNOR'S ATTEMPT TO PUSH BIT BY BIT HIS PACKAGE THROUGH LEGCO AND PROVED THAT THE BRITISH HAD TURNED TO A NEW APPROACH IN IMPLEMENTING THE PACKAGE BY CREATING A FAIT ACCOMPLI TO PUT PRESSURE ON CHINA. THE ARTICLE CONTENDED THAT THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL HAD UPROOTED ENTIRELY THE BASIS OF THE TALKS AND UNDERMINED HONG KONG'S OVERALL INTERESTS. HONG KONG PEOPLE HAD REASONS TO DEMAND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO TAKE DRASTIC MEASURE TO STOP THE GOVERNOR FROM SIGNING THE BILL AND DISCONTINUE THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS FOR THE LEGISLATION.
PATTEN
YYYY
MAIN
65
DISTRIBUTION
72
.HK POLICY
HKD
PUSD
FED
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT LEGAL ADVISERS//MISS BROOKS LEGAL ADVISERS//MR GILES
PAGE
NTCD
PLANNERS
RAD
PS
PS/MR GOODLAD
SIR J COLES
MR HUM
2
UNCLASSIFIED
1
}