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PEOPLE. EQUALLY IMPORTANT WOULD BE THE THROUGH TRAIN. THE CHINESE SIDE WERE WELL AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE THE BRITISH SIDE ATTACHED TO THIS ISSUE.
14.
THE PAPERS PROMINENTLY NOTED (24.5) THE CONCLUSION OF THE THIRD ROUND OF TALKS AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE FOURTH ROUND. IT WAS NOTED SIR ROBIN HAD DESCRIBED THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE TALKS AS
GOOD.
GOVERNOR'S U.S. TRIP.
15.
NCNA SECRETARY GENERAL YUAN PENGNAN TOLD THE PRESS IN A PUBLIC FUNCTION (11.5) THAT REMARKS MADE BY THE GOVERNOR IN THE US ON THE THROUGH TRAIN, HONG KONG AS AN INTERNATIONAL ASSET AND THREE-LEGGED STOOL HAD VIOLATED THE JD AND THE BL AND HAD NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT CHINA'S SOVEREIGN RIGHTS. HE CRITICISED THE GOVERNOR FOR PLAYING THE INTERNATIONAL CARD AND POSING OBSTACLES TO THE CURRENT TALKS. THE CHINESE SIDE REGRETTED THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD MADE SUCH REMARKS WHEN THE TALKS WERE PROCEEDING AND HOPED THAT HE WOULD NOT DO SO AGAIN. REPORTS NOTED INFORMATION CO-ORDINATOR, MIKE HANSON, REJECTED MR YUAN'S CRITICISMS AND SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE US TRIP WAS TO LOBBY FOR RENEWAL OF CHINA'S MFN STATUS FOR THE ECONOMIC INTERESTS OF HONG KONG.
16. THE GOVERNOR'S QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION WITH LEGCO MEMBERS ON HIS US TRIP WAS REPORTED (14.5). MANY PAPERS NOTED THE GOVERNOR REJECTED ALLEGATIONS THAT HE INTERNATIONALISED HONG KONG ISSUES DURING HIS TRIP AND EMPHASISED THAT IT WAS HIS DUTY TO HAVE EXCHANGES WITH HONG KONG'S MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS.
LU PING.
17. THE PAPERS (14.5) CARRIED PROMINENTLY LU PING'S REMARKS ON THE INTERNATONALISATION OF THE HONG KONG QUESTION MADE DURING HIS VISIT TO MACAU. LEFT-WING PAPERS PLAYED UP MR LU'S REMARKS THAT THE INTERNATIONALISATION OF THE HONG KONG QUESTION WOULD MAKE THE TALKS ON THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS MORE DIFFICULT. MR LU SAID THE VALUE OF HONG KONG LIED IN ITS ECONOMIC VALUE. HONG KONG SHOULD MAINTAIN ITS STATUS AS AN INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL, TRADE AND SHIPPING CENTRE. BUT IT SHOULD UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES BECOME A POLITICAL CENTRE, LET ALONE AN INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL CENTRE. SHOULD HONG KONG BECOME AN ARENA FOR VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL FORCES, IT WOULD ONLY BRING DISASTERS TO THE SIX MILLION HONG KONG PEOPLE.
4
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