THEN WENT BACK TWO STEPS. IF THE BRITISH SIDE SUBMITTED THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL TO LEGCO, THEN IT MEANT THE BRITISH SIDE WERE NOT WILLING TO COOPERATE WITH THE CHINESE SIDE OVER A SMOOTH TRANSITION OF HK. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT WOULD BE HARD TO SAY HK'S ECONOMY WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED. LU ALSO SAID IF NO AGREEMENT WAS REACHED, THE RESULT WOULD BE A LEGCO WHICH COULD SERVE FOR ONLY ONE YEAR AND EIGHT MONTHS. ON THE THROUGH TRAIN, LU SAID ONLY AFTER MATTERS CONCERNING THE TRAIN HAD BEEN DECIDED THEN CONSIDERATIONS COULD BE GIVE TO WHO COULD BOARD IT. LU SAID THE 1994 AND 1995 ELECTIONS COULD BE DEALT WITH SEPARATELY. HE SAID THE TWO ELECTIONS WERE ONLY INTERRELATED ON. TWO ISSUES THE VOTING AGE AND THE SINGLE-SEAT-SINGLE-VOTE SYSTEM. THE RETENTION OR ABOLITION OF APPOINTED SEATS IN THE 94 ELECTIONS HAD NO RELATION TO THE
ELECTIONS IN 95.
18. LU PING WAS QUOTED (15.10) AS SAYING TO A VISITING URBCO GROUP THAT IF THERE WAS NO AGREEMENT AT THE TALKS, HKG WOULD BECOME A 'LEGLESS DUCK' ADMINISTRATION. LU ADMITTED HK'S ECONOMIC ISSUES SUCH AS THE NEW AIRPORT AND CT9 WOULD BE AFFECTED BY POLITICAL
FACTORS.
JI PENGFEI
19. FORMER HKMAO DIRECTOR JI PENGFEI TOLD A PO LEUNG KUK DELEGATION THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT SO FAR WAS NOT ON THE CHINESE SIDE. THE CHINESE STANCE ON HK WAS VERY CLEAR AND WOULD NOT CHANGE. WHATEVER HAPPENED, CHINA WOULD IMPLEMENT 'ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS AND 'HK PEOPLE RULING HK'. CHINA HAD THE CONFIDENCE AND ABILITY TO MAINTAIN HK'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY.
ALASTAIR GOODLAD
20. THE PAPERS NOTED (12.10) IN GOOD COVERAGE THE FCO MINISTER WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HK, ALASTAIR GOODLAD, ARRIVED IN HK FOR A TWO-DAY VISIT. REPORTS NOTED MR. GOODLAD AS SAYING AT THE AIRPORT THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD NOT PUT A DEADINE ON THE TIMING FOR THE TALKS. HOWEVER, THE TALKS COULD NOT GO ON INDEFINITELY. ASKED IF BRITAIN WAS STILL IN SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNOR'S AMENDED PACKAGE, MR. GOODLAD SAID THAT THE FCO, PRIME MINISTER AND THE GOVERNOR HAD THE SAME VIEWS.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
21. THE COMMONS FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, DAVID HOWELL, SAID (14.10) SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS WERE BASICALLY GOOD DESPITE SOME PROBLEMS THEY HAD IN HANDLING THE HK ISSUE. SPEAKING AFTER A MEETING WITH LU PING IN PEKING, MR. HOWELL SAID HE PERSONALLY THOUGHT THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE WAS COMPATIBLE WITH THE BL AND HOPED THE TALKS COULD RESULT IN AN AGREEMENT ACCEPTABLE TO BOTH SIDES.
POLLS
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22. ACCORDING TO A SCMP POLL (9.10) AMONG 605 RESPONDENTS, PERCENT AGREED HK PEOPLE NEEDED TO STAND UP FOR DEMOCRACY, ALTHOUGH
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