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MDLIAN 2
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IN AN
HAD REACHED CONSENSUS ON THREE POINTS: CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS SHOULD STRADDLE 1997, CHINA AND BRITAIN SHOULD RESUME NEGOTIATIONS AND CHINA SHOULD NOT SET UP ''ANOTHER STOVE' INTERVIEW WITH THE HK ECONOMIC TIMES, THE MEETING POINT CHAIRMAN ANTHONY CHEUNG SAID THE GROUP'S STANCE ON DEMOCRACY HAD NOT CHANGED DESPITE THE RESIGNATION OF THREE FOUNDER MEMBERS. HOWEVER, THE GROUP HAD NO PLANS FOR THE TIME BEING TO SUBMIT ANY COUNTER PROPOSALS AS THIS WOULD NOT HELP IN RESOLVING THE DISPUTE.
9. WEN WEI PO REPORTED (4.2) AN EARLIER SPEECH BY JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER MICHIO WANTANABE IN WHICH HE TOUCHED ON HK. MR WANTANABE SAID JAPAN HOPED HK COULD CONTINUE TO BE PROSPEROUS AFTER 1997. TO ACHIEVE THIS AIM, IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN HK'S POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC STABILITY ON THE BASIS OF SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENTS.
10. SOME PAPERS REPORTED (5.2) THAT JAPAN'S YOMIURI SHIMBUN IN A REPORT FILED FROM SHANGHAI QUOTED A CHINESE SOURCES AS SAYING THE CHINESE LEADER DENG XIAOPING HAD STRONGLY CRITICISED THE GOVERNOR DURING THE SPRING GATHERING WITH PARTY LEADERS. DENG WAS QUOTED AS SAYING CHINA'S REFORMS AND OPEN-DOOR POLICY WERE ACHIEVING RESULTS AND THERE WERE SMOOTH DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ECONOMY. THE PRESENT BIGGEST PROBLEM WAS THE HK QUESTION AND THE GREATEST DIFFICULTY WAS THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE. THE REPORT NOTED DENG'S REMARKS WERE INDICATIONS THAT CHINA WOULD CONTINUE TO EXERT ALL KINDS OF PRESSURE ON THE GOVERNOR, INCLUDING REORGANISING THE LEGISLATIVE BODY AFTER 1997. THE REMARKS, MADE PRIOR TO LEGCO'S DISCUSSION ON THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE, WAS TAKEN BY THE REPORT AS A FURTHER DEMONSTRATION OF CHINA'S FIRM STANCE.
11. WEN WEI PO (5.2) CARRIED THE TEXT OF AN ARTICLE IN THE FEBRUARY ISSUE OF THE BAUHINIA, ARGUING THAT LEGCO SHOULD NOT BE USED TO CREATE NEW CONFLICTS AND CONFRONTATION. BY GIVING LEGCO THE POWER TO DECIDE ON POLITICAL REFORMS, THE ARTICLE CLAIMED THE GOVERNOR HAD MADE USE OF THE ''THREE LEGGED STOOL'' TRICK. THE ARTICLE NOTED CHINA'S STANCE HAD BEEN VERY CLEAR AND IT WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE NOR ANY COMPROMISED PACKAGE PASSED BY LEGCO.
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