UNCLASSIFIED
127104 MDLIAN 4175
Bill in LegCo then this would only create more obstacles. The Chinese side would not accept this.
7.
The papers noted the Governor (29.11) expressed disappointment in the failure to reach an agreement on the easier issues. The Governor was quoted as saying the British side were not walking away from the negotiating table but were walking firmly in the direction of their responsibility and would continue to do so.
8.
British representative Christopher Hum was quoted (29.11) as saying the British side had proposed to continue the talks but the date of the next round remained to be discussed. Mr Hum said he hoped the next round would touch on the more difficult and more important issues. The British side were still awaiting to have a Chinese reaction on the through train and the new ideas put forward by the British side. The Election Committee and the functional constituencies also needed to be discussed.
9.
HKMAO director Lu Ping told (28.11) a visiting HK women delegation that because the British side had insisted on linking the arrangements for the LegCo elections with those of the DB and municipal council elections, the 17th round had ended without reaching an agreement on the less controversial issues. Lu said the Chinese side had never objected to the adoption of the 'single seat, single vote' system for the 1995 LegCo elections. China proposed dealing with the municipal councils and the DB elections first because this would allow more time to discuss arrangements for the LegCo elections. Lu claimed the British opposed this which was unreasonable. On suggestions that the British side would table a partial bill in LegCo, Lu questioned under the circumstances, what more there was to discuss about.
10.
NCNA HK branch deputy director Zhang Junsheng was quoted (28.11) as saying the British side had twisted the concept of 'settling the easier issues first' and created obstacles.
11. The papers (29.11) carried a despatch by the NCNA saying the Chinese side had made its greatest efforts and the British side was to be blamed for the failure to reach an agreement on the DB and municipal council elections in the 17th round. The despatch noted the two sides had not announced the date of the next round.
The three left-wing papers Wen Wei Po, Ta Kung Pao and the HK Commercial Daily, in one voice blamed (29.11) the British side for
12.
PAGE 2 UNCLASSIFIED