UNCLASSIFIED
106460 MDLIAN 2583
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 464
OF 23230OZ MARCH 93
INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA
PART TWO OF TWO
HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE: (17.3 - 23.3)
16. REPORTS NOTED (20.3) JIANG ZEMIN SAID CHINA WOULD ADHERE TO THE JD AND THE BL AND GUARANTEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ''ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS'' CONCEPT IN HK. THE CHINESE SIDE WERE WILLING TO TALK TO THE BRITISH SIDE BUT THEY WOULD NOT BARTER AWAY THEIR PRINCIPLES. TALKS SHOULD BE ON THE BASIS OF THE JD, BL AND PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS/UNDERSTANDINGS. THEY SHOULD BE CONDUCTED BETWEEN TWO GOVERNMENTS AND NO THIRD PARTY SHOULD INTERFERE.
17.
POLITBUREAU STANDING COMMITTEE MEMBER LI RUIHUAN AT A CPPCC GROUP MEETING CRITICISED (20.3) THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOR PROMOTING DEMOCRACY IN HK. MR LI SAID DEMOCRACY MEANT LETTING PEOPLE BE THE MASTER AND WONDERED WHY FOREIGNERS WHO HAD OCCUPIED OTHER'S TERRITORY BY FORCE COULD TALK ABOUT DEMOCRACY. SAID THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD INSIST ON ITS PRINCIPLES. ON THIS BASIS, THEY WOULD NOT REJECT TALKS.
18. HKMAO VICE DIRECTOR CHEN ZIYING SAID (20.3) IF THE HKG SUBMITTED THE BILL TO LEGCO, THEN IT WOULD BE MOVING FURTHER DOWN THE WRONG TRACK. NCNA VICE DIRECTOR QIN WENJUN, WHEN ASKED THE SAME QUESTION, SAID THIS WOULD NOT ONLY CLOSE THE DOOR TO TALKS, BUT WOULD ADD A LOCK ON THE DOOR. MR QIN INDICATED IF THE BRITISH SIDE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR FOR HIS ACTIONS THEN IT WOULD TOTALLY DESTROY CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES.
19.
AN ARTICLE IN THE EXPRESS (20.3) SAID THE CHINESE HAD COME UP WITH A TWO-PRONGED STRATEGY IN THE CURRENT DISPUTE: TO CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE GOVERNOR AND STEP UP PREPARATION FOR THE TRANSITION IN THE ABSENCE OF BRITISH CO-OPERATION. THE CHINESE WERE WORKING ON THREE FRONTS IN THE ''ANTI-GOVERNOR'' CAMPAIGN
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