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THAT THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS SHOULD NOT EXCEED 20.
5. THE PAPERS (3.5) NOTED IN A REPORT ON CHINA'S RECENT DIPLOMATIC WORK, NCNA SAID THE RE-OPENING OF TALKS BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND BRITISH SIDES HAD BROUGHT HOPE TO RESOLVING THE QUESTION OF HK'S POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT, THOUGH THE PATH WOULD BE A VERY THORNY ONE. NCNA ALSO STRESSED THAT NEGOTIATIONS WERE BETTER THAN CONFRONTATION.
6.
MING PAO QUOTED (3.5) CHINESE OFFICIALS AS SAYING THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD ASK THE BRITISH SIDE TO FIRST ACCEPT THREE MAJOR PRINCIPLES IN THE COMING ROUND OF TALKS. THEY WERE (1) THERE WOULD BE ONLY 20 DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN THE 1995 LEGCO ELECTIONS: (2) THE 1995 FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED IN THE SAME WAY AS THOSE HELD IN THE PAST: THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL TO ENLARGE THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES THROUGH A DISGUISED FORM OF DIRECT ELECTIONS WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND (3) THE ELECTION COMMITTEE SHOULD BE FORMED ACCORDING TO PROPOSALS MADE BY THE BRITISH SIDE IN THE SEVEN DIPLOMATIC EXCHANGES. AS THE CHINESE SIDE HOPED TO CLEAR ALL PROBLEMS RELATING TO CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE TALKS, THEY EXPECTED NEGOTIATIONS WOULD NOT FINISH BEFORE LEGCO'S SUMMER
THE SOURCES SAID THE TALKS WOULD BREAK DOWN SHOULD THE BRITISH SIDE TABLE THE BILL INTO LEGCO DURING THE COURSE OF NEGOTIATIONS.
THROUGH TRAIN
7. A NUMBER OF PAPERS (5.5) QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES IN PEKING AS SAYING THE CURRENT TALKS WOULD ONLY DISCUSS THE QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE OF THE POLITICAL SYSTEM. ALL MATTERS RELATING TO THE THROUGH TRAIN SHOULD BE HANDLED IN 1996 AFTER THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE HAD BEEN SET UP. AS FOR WHETHER GUIDELINES ON WHO MIGHT RIDE THE THROUGH TRAIN COULD BE ISSUED TO FACILITATE CANDIDATES AND VOTERS IN THE 1995 LEGCO ELECTIONS, THE SOURCES SAID THIS MIGHT CAUSE SOME PROBLEMS: FIRST, IT WOULD INVOLVE AMENDING THE BL: SECONDLY, THE PC WAS TASKED BY THE NPC TO CONFIRM MEMBERS FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN. IF THIS TASK WAS HANDED BACK TO THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE, IT WOULD SET A BAD PRECEDENT FOR WORK ON OTHER FRONTS.
GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO THE US
8. THE GOVERNOR'S REMARKS BEFORE DEPARTING FOR THE US WERE WIDELY NOTED (3.5). THE GOVERNOR SAID THERE WERE TWO AIMS TO BALANCE IN THE TALKS. ONE WAS TO GIVE THE TALKS A FAIR WIND AND
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