UNCLASSIFIED
172264 MDLIAN 2565
??
POINTED OUT HONG KONG WAS A PLACE OF STABILITY.
9. THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL SAID (17.8) ACCORDING TO ITS
UNDERSTANDING, THE CHINESE SIDE HAD NOT YET PROPOSED OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN, BUT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD FOR THE FIRST TIME PROPOSED COUNTER-PROPOSALS DIFFERENT FROM THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE. THE PAPER QUOTED SOURCES CLOSE TO THE BRITISH SIDE AS SAYING ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, THE BRITISH SIDE DID NOT EXPRESS DIFFERENT VIEWS FROM THE CHINESE SIDE'S PROPOSAL THAT IT SHOULD BE MADE UP OF 600 PEOPLE FROM FOUR SECTORS. THE BRITISH SIDE BELIEVED THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WAS THE MEMBERS OF THE ELECITON COMMITTEE SHOULD BE RETURNED THROUGH A DIPLOMATIC PROCESS. THE BRITISH SIDE WERE FIRMLY AGAINST RETURNING MEMBERS BY DIPLOMATIC CONSULTATION AS SUGGESTED BY THE CHINESE SIDE. THE TWO SIDES STILL HAD MAJOR DIFFERENCES OVER THE THROUGH TRAIN.
10. THE PAPERS NOTED (18.8) THE ENDING OF THE NINTH ROUND AND THE JOINT STATEMENT THAT THE TENTH ROUND WOULD BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 4 AND 5 IN PEKING. SOME PAPERS NOTED THREE MORE ROUNDS WOULD BE HELD BEFORE THE MINISTERIAL MEETING IN SEPTEMBER. BRITISH REPRESENTATIVE SIR ROBIN MCLAREN SAID THE BRITISH SIDE HOPED PROGRESS COULD BE MADE BEFORE THE MINISTERIAL MEETING. THE PAPERS NOTED SIR ROBIN HAD AVOIDED COMMENTING ON WHETHER PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE IN THE TALKS AND STRESSED THAT THE ATMOSPHERE HAD BEEN NORMAL. ON THE THROUGH TRAIN, SIR ROBIN REITERATED THIS WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE BRITISH SIDE. HE SAID THE TWO SIDES HAD DECIDED ON THE WORK PLAN FOR NEXT MONTH AND A FEW ROUNDS WOULD BE HELD.
END OF PART ONE OF TWO PARTS.
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