UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1784
OF 2610027 NOVEMBER 93
UNCLASSIFIED
UKB 301/21
REC
·3
ра.
92
107243
MDLIAN 2681
Mess Roundups (301/2)
INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA
HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE: (19.11-26.11)
Summary
Prominently featured was the 16th round of Sino-British talks which ended without any progress; the Chinese stepped up their accusations that the British side were posing obstacles to the negotiations prior to the 17th round.
Sino-British Talks
2. Papers gave good coverage (19.11) to the arrival of British representative Christopher Hum in Peking for the 16th round of talks. Most noted Mr Hum's remarks that he expected good progress to be made.
3.
Sing Tao Daily (19.11) quoted a source close to the talks on the Chinese side as saying on the 1994 elections, the Chinese side would agree to the British side's proposal on the voting age and the voting system but they would insist on retaining some appointed seats.
4. NCNA HK branch deputy director Zhang Junsheng said (19.11) he hoped the British side would understand correctly the Chinese side's stand. Zhang said if the political problems between the two sides were not resolved, the basis for co-operation would be damaged and this would affect HK's economy.
5. A China News Agency (19.11) despatch issued on the eve of the 16th round of talks was carried in many papers. The article said the two sides might have differences over the concept of "to deal first with the easier issues". If such a concept was only a tactic
a political gesture of the British side, the two sides would have difficulties reaching an agreement.
6. The papers (19.11) quoted Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman
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