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exchanges that the Election Committee for returning 10 members to the first SAR Legislature would be formed along the line of the Selection Committee.
4. Ming Pao quoted Chinese sources as saying (23.9) the Chinese side were considering how to handle HK's economic issues should the talks break down. The paper said the Chinese side were still prepared to deal with political and economic issues separately and maintain a certain degree of cooperation with the British side over economic matters. However, the sources indicated it would be unrealistic to hope economic issues would not be affected at all by a break-down in the talks.
5. Ta Kung Pao and the HK Economic Times (23.9) quoted the head of the Chinese Enterprises Association Tsao Wai-chung as saying the association hoped a functional seat would be allocated to Chinese enterprises in HK.
6. The papers quoted the Secretary of State as saying (24.9) in Washington that he hoped his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen in New York on October 1 would help speed up talks on the HK question.
Senior Movements of Personnel in Government
7. The announcement of series of senior Government appointments, in particular Mrs Anson Chan as successor to Sir David Ford was prominently covered (22.9). Most noted Mrs Chan would be the first Local and first female Chief Secretary.
8. Sing Tao Daily (22.9) quoted sources close to the Chinese side as saying if Britain and China could not reach agreement on a through train for civil servants, there would be no guarantee that senior officials appointed before 1997 could serve beyond 1997. Therefore the Chinese side would not have to directly give views on such appointments. On the contrary, if Sino-British relations had been better and a through train arrangement was agreed, then China would of course have views on who should be the Chief Secretary. The HK Economic Journal quoted a HKMAO official as saying the Chinese side had not been informed about the reshuffle and it was purely a matter for the HKG. He said appointments of secretaries before 1997 would not automatically straddle 1997. An NCNA HK official was quoted as saying if the British side hoped the appointment of senior officials would straddle 1997, they should
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