CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 662
OF 281107Z APRIL 93
CONFIDENTIAL
HKCC 01214
RECEIVED!
DFSK
INDEX
2 APK 109:
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING
512/4
38
012641
MDHIAN 8842
HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER ELECTIONS
SUMMARY
1.
FIVE OF SIX GENCHAM COMMITTEE SEATS UP FOR ELECTION YESTERDAY WERE TAKEN BY NEW CANDIDATES, ALL OF THEM WITH CLEAR PRO CHINA LINKS. AMONG THE LOSERS WAS FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN MARTIN BARROW CA DIRECTOR OF JARDINES), LEADING NEWSPAPERS TO DESCRIBE THE DEVELOPMENT AS A ''PRO-BEIJING COUP''. POSSIBLE FORETASTE OF 1995 FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS.
DETAIL
THERE
2. AT YESTERDAY'S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE CUSTOMARY SIX (OUT OF 24) GENERAL COMMITTEE SEATS WERE UP FOR ELECTION/RE-ELECTION. HAVE BEEN RUMOURS CIRCULATING FOR SOME TIME THAT FORMER (CONSERVATIVE) LEGISLATOR JAMES TIEN AND OTHERS WERE ORGANISING A CAMPAIGN TO COLLECT PROXY VOTES ON BEHALF OF A NUMBER OF PRO- CHINA CANDIDATES. THIS CAMPAIGN APPEARS TO HAVE SUCCEEDED.
3. APART FROM TIEN HIMSELF, THE OTHER FOUR VICTORIOUS CANDIDATES ALL HAVE CONSPICUOUS PRO-BEIJING VIEWS AND CONNECTIONS. CHAN WING-KEE IS A DELEGATE TO THE NPC AND A HONG KONG AFFAIRS ADVISER: TONY FUNG IS A MEMBER OF THE CPPCC: ALEX YE IS THE HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SHANGHAI FOREIGN INVESTMENT COMMISSION, AND WAS PREVIOUSLY A CLOSE ADVISER OF ZHU RONGJI'S IN SHANGHAI: AND C C TUNG IS THE BROTHER OF CH TUNG.
4.
DESPITE PROTESTATIONS THAT ALL THE NEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE BUSINESSMEN THERE IS AN UNMISTAKABLE POLITICAL FLAVOUR TO THE AFFAIR, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE ORGANISED NATURE OF THEIR CAMPAIGN. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE CHAMBER'S CONSTITUTION AGAINST GATHERING PROXY VOTES, BUT THE DELIBERATENESS OF THEIR APPROACH IS UNUSUAL. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN SUGGESTIONS THAT THE NCNA PARTICIPATED IN THE CAMPAIGN, LEANING ON COMPANIES TO GIVE THEIR PROXY VOTES IN FAVOUR OF THE PRO-CHINA CANDIDATES.
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