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MR
ALLEGING THE GOVERNOR HAD SHUT TWO DOORS FOR TALKS. THE FIRST TIME WAS BY GAZETTING THE BILL AND THEN AGAIN BY REVEALING TO LEGISLATORS THE DIPLOMATIC EXCHANGES THAT WERE TAKING PLACE. LU SAID IT WAS THEREFORE DIFFICULT NOW TO GO AHEAD WITH THE TALKS. MR LU CLAIMED AS FAR AS THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WAS CONCERNED, THEY DID NOT WANT TO EXCLUDE HKG OFFICIALS FROM THE TALKS. HOWEVER, SINCE THE TALKS WERE DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN TWO SOVEREIGN STATES CHINA HAD PROPOSED EACH SIDE SHOULD ONLY SEND ONE OR TWO REPRESENTATIVES. MR LU ALLEGED IT WAS NOT THE CHINESE SIDE WHO FIRST PUT FORWARD THIS PROPOSAL. HE DISCLOSED DURING VICE-PREMIER ZHU RONGZI'S MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER LAST YEAR, MR MAJOR TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO SAY THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD LIKE TO SEND A SPECIAL ENVOY TO PEKING TO HAVE TALKS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. IN THEIR REPLY, THE CHINESE SIDE SAID THE BRITISH SIDE COULD EITHER SEND A SPECIAL ENVOY OR APPOINT THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO CHINA AS THE REPRESENTATIVE. THE CHINESE PROPOSED ON THEIR SIDE TO SEND ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE FOREIGN MINISTRY AND A DEPUTY REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE HKMAO STATE COUNCIL. THE QUESTION OF A DELEGATION DID NOT EXIST. MR LU SAID TO BREAK THE DEADLOCK, ON 11 MARCH THE CHINESE SIDE SUGGESTED TO APPOINT ONLY ONE REPRESENTATIVE AND NOT TWO AND ALL THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THE TALKS WOULD ONLY BE EXPERTS OR ADVISERS. HE SAID THE BRITISH SIDE SENT A REPLY ON THE FOLLOWING DAY THAT THEY WOULD NOT AGREE TO THIS AND INSISTED THERE SHOULD BE A DELEGATION OR A TEAM. REPORTS NOTED THE STOCK MARKET RESPONDED TO MR LU'S CONFERENCE WITH A REBOUND AFTER A FALL OF 220 POINTS IN THE MORNING. THE REBOUND WAS GENERALLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT MR LU HAD BEEN MILD AND THAT NO ECONOMIC CARD WAS PLAYED.
8. MANY PAPERS NOTED (18.3) THAT FCO ISSUED A STATEMENT WHICH SAID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FULLY SUPPORTED THE GOVERNOR AND REGRETTED THE PERSONAL ATTACKS ON THE GOVERNOR. THE STATEMENT SAID THEY WERE READY FOR TALKS ANYTIME BUT WOULD NOT ACCEPT THAT THE GAZETTAL HAD CLOSED THE DOOR FOR TALKS. ONE IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE WAS IN NEGOTIATIONS ON HK'S FUTURE, HKG OFFICIALS' ROLE SHOULD NOT BE LOWERED. ON THE PRIME MINISTER'S SUGGESTION TO SEND A SPECIAL ENVOY TO PEKING, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE PM OFFICE SAID THAT THE PURPOSE WAS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS OVER THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS OF THE NEW AIRPORT AND NOT OVER HK'S POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. SOME PAPERS QUOTED THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR IN PEKING SIR ROBIN MCLAREN AS SAYING HE DID NOT AGREE WITH MR LU'S REMARKS THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD SHUT THE DOORS TO NEGOTIATIONS. HE DESCRIBED LU PING'S CRITICISMS OF THE GOVERNOR AS UNFAIR, SAYING
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