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1035
MDLIAN 3962
ROUND, I.E. THEY WOULD OPPOSE ANY INCREASE IN DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS AND THROUGH TRAIN FOR THE LIBERALS.
5.
ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, JIANG ZEMIN, AT A MEETING WITH THE MFA AND THE HKMAO ON 29 APRIL, SAID THAT UNDER THE CURRENT CLIMATE, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR BRITAIN TO COME TO AN EARLY AGREEMENT WITH CHINA ON THE BASIS OF THE THREE COMPLIANCES. THE 'TRUE FACE' OF THE BRITISH WOULD BE EXPOSED AT THE THIRD AND FOURTH ROUNDS. THE ARTICLE SPECULATED THAT THESE REMARKS MEANT THAT CHINA WOULD NOT MAKE ANY CONCESSION, AT LEAST NOT BEFORE THE FOURTH ROUND. IF BOTH SIDES WERE STILL DEADLOCKED AFTER FOUR ROUNDS OF TALKS, THE CHINESE MIGHT REVEAL THE 'TRUE FACE OF THE BRITISH. FURTHERMORE, THE CHINESE WOULD MAKE PREPARATIONS ON VARIOUS FRONTS, LARGELY TO PUT PRESSURE ON BRITAIN.
6.
PRESS REPORTS NOTED THAT MARTIN LEE HAD CALLED ON US TO TABLE THE BILL TO LEGCO IF THE THIRD ROUND FAILED TO YIELD SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS. LEE SAID THAT IF THE BILL WAS NOT SCRUTINISED BY LEG CO THIS SESSION, IT WOULD BE TOO LATE.
CONTEMPORARY MAGAZINE ARTICLE ON TRANSITION.
7.
AN ARTICLE IN THE MAY ISSUE OF THE CONTEMPORARY MAGAZINE NOTED THAT A MEETING ATTEND BY HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS EXPERTS FROM ALL OVER CHINA WAS HELD IN EARLY APRIL. AN IMPORTANT DECISION REACHED AT THE MEETING WAS THAT THESE EXPERTS WOULD FORM A GROUP UNDER THE HKMAO TO STUDY WAYS TO ENSURE THE PEACEFUL TRANSITION OF HONG KONG AND MACAU. THE GROUP TO BE LED BY JI PENGFEI, INCLUDED MANY HONG KONG AND MACAU PEOPLE. ONE OF THE AIMS OF SETTING UP THIS NATION-WIDE STUDY GROUP UNDER THE HKMAO WAS TO PROVIDE A CHANNEL FOR HONG KONG AFFAIRS ADVISERS TO PARTICIPATE IN DECISION-MAKING. THE STUDY GROUP WAS GIVEN THE FOLLOWING TASKS:
(I)
TO WORK OUT THE STRUCTURE AND PRELIMINARY PREPARATORY WORK OF THE SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE:
(II) TO WORK OUT THE ROLE AND OPERATIONS OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE:
(III) TO ASSESS BRITAIN'S POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES
TOWARDS HONG KONG IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS: AND
(IV) TO IDENTIFY WAYS TO MINIMISE UNDESIRABLE EFFECTS
2
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