UNCLASSIFIED
HICC 012/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
MAY 1993
D ̃SK OFFICER
REGISTRY
INDICA
PA
Action Tuken
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
121
050422
MDLIAN 2400
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORTS
LAND COMMISSION
1. THE MEETING OF THE LAND COMMISSION ON 11 MAY WAS ACCORDED WIDE MEDIA COVERAGE TODAY (12 MAY). MOST REPORTS HIGHLIGHTED THAT THERE WAS NO AGREEMENT ON CT9, BUT CONTACTS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES ON THE ISSUE WOULD CONTINUE.
2. BOTH TA KUNG PAO AND WEN WEI PO COMMENTED EDITORIALLY THAT THE AGREEMENT ON THE LAND DISPOSAL PROGRAMME REFLECTED CHINA'S GENUINE CONCERN FOR HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY, AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD. AS LONG AS BOTH SIDES COULD RESUME CO-OPERATION ON THE BASIS OF THE JD AND HOLD A PRAGMATIC ATTITUDE IN RESOLVING HONG KONG ISSUES INCLUDING THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS, ARRANGEMENTS WHICH COULD MEET THE INTERESTS OF VARIOUS PARTIES AND THE WISHES OF HONG KONG PEOPLE COULD CERTAINLY BE WORKED OUT.
3.
A NUMBER OF OTHER PAPERS HOPED THAT WITH THE CONCLUSION OF THE LC MEETING, BOTH THE JLG AND THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE COULD RESUME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO AS NOT TO STALL HONG KONG'S INFRASTRUCTURAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE PAPERS WERE GENERALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT NO AGREEMENT HAD BEEN REACHED ON CT9.
4.
THE PRESS ALSO REPORTED REMARKS BY DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HKMAO STATE COUNCIL, WANG QIREN, WHEN MEETING A HONG KONG DELEGATION YESTERDAY. WITHOUT NAMING THE GOVERNOR, WANG CRITICISED HIM FOR MAKING REMARKS OVERSEAS RECENTLY THAT WERE NOT IN LINE WITH THE THREE COMPLIANCES. WANG URGED BOTH SIDES TO MAINTAIN A GOOD
ON THE ATMOSPHERE BEFORE THE THIRD ROUND OF SINO-BRITISH TALKS. NEW AIRPORT, WANG SAID CHINA'S STAND HAD BEEN VERY CLEAR. SUPPORTED THE BUILDING OF A NEW AIRPORT THAT WAS COST-EFFECTIVE AND IN LINE WITH THE MOU. SOME REPORTS NOTED THAT WANG HAD REITERATED THE BASIC LAW PROVISIONS ON THE THROUGH TRAIN.
SIR PERCY CRADOCK
5.
JOHN ELLISON OF ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS REPORTED THAT SIR PERCY
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