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A TIME WHEN TALKS WERE GOING ON. HE WAS QUOTED AS DESCRIBING THE MOVE AS A 'FALSE START' AND SAID IT WOULD DEFINITELY AFFECT THE TALKS. STRESSING THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WAS SINCERE ABOUT THE NEW AIRPORT AND THE POLITICAL REFORM ISSUE, HE HOPED SIMILAR THING WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN AND THAT BOTH SIDES WOULD STRIVE TO CREATE A GOOD ATMOSPHERE CONDUCIVE TO REACHING AN AGREEMENT IN THE TALKS. ON WHEN AN AGREEMENT COULD BE REACHED, HE SAID IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN THE TALKS WOULD ACHIEVE RESULTS. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE FIFTH ROUND HAD TO BE HELD HALF A MONTH LATER BECAUSE JIANG ENZHU WAS VERY BUSY. ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, WANG HAD INDICATED THAT WHETHER THE JLG MEETING WOULD BE HELD THIS MONTH DEPENDED ON THE BRITISH SIDE'S SINCERITY AND WHETHER GOOD ATMOSPHERE WAS CREATED BEFORE THE MEETING.
6. THE LEFT-WING PAPERS TODAY VIGOROUSLY HIT OUT AT US FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE BEC BILL AND AT THE LEGCO PANEL'S IMMINENT DISCUSSION OF THE POLITICAL PACKAGE. WEN WEI PO, TA KUNG PAO AND THE HK COMMERCIAL DAILY ALL SAID IN THEIR EDITORIALS THAT THE
CHINESE SIDE HAD TAKEN CONCRETE STEPS TO SHOW THEIR SINCERITY IN THE TALKS, AS EVIDENCED IN ITS AGREEMENT TO THREE MAJOR FRANCHISES STRADDLING 1997 AND THE RESUMPTION OF LAND COMMISSION, AIRPORT COMMITTEE AND JLG EXPERT TALKS. REGRETTABLY, THE BRITISH SIDE HAD NOT SHOWN THE SAME SINCERITY.
7. TA KUNG MAINTAINED THAT THE BEC BILL AIMED AT PAVING THE WAY FOR THE ABOLITION OF APPOINTED SEATS. IT ALSO STRESSED THAT THE LEGCO PANEL'S DECISIONS TO HOLD BI-WEEKLY MEETINGS TO DISCUSS THE BILL WOULD CERTAINLY UNDERMINE THE TALKS. IT SAID THE PANEL'S
DECISION WAS MADE AT THE REQUEST OF THE UDHK MEMBERS AND WAS CONDONED BY THE GOVERNOR. THE EDITORIAL HOPED THAT WE WOULD
CHANGE OUR COURSE AND SHOW GENUINE SINCERITY.
8. WEN WEI TOOK THE GOVERNOR'S INSISTENCE THAT THE PANEL'S MOVE WOULD NOT POSE OBSTACLES TO THE PEKING TALKS AS AN OPEN SUPPORT FOR LEGCO TO START THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS FOR THE CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE. THIS CONFRONTATIONAL MOVE INDICATED THAT THE BRITISH WERE STILL BENT ON PUSHING AHEAD WITH THE PACKAGE OF THE 'THREE VIOLATIONS'. THE EDITORIAL PREDICTED THAT THERE WOULD BE CONFRONTATION AND CHAOS IF THE LEGCO PANEL REACHED ITS OWN CONCLUSION ON THE PACKAGE BEFORE THE TALKS COULD YIELD AN AGREEMENT IN LINE WITH THE THREE COMPLIANCES. THE BRITISH SHOULD STOP ITS TACTICS OF HOLDING NEGOTIATIONS ON THE ONE HAND AND PASSING THE ELECTORAL BILL INTO LAW ON THE OTHER. OTHERWISE THEY WOULD HAVE TO BEAR ALL CONSEQUENCES FOR INTERFERING WITH THE
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