RESTRICTED
34125
MDHI 6000
9. ON DEFENCE THE NPC PRODUCED NO SURPRISES. CHI HAOTIAN WAS APPOINTED MINISTER FOR NATIONAL DEFENCE: APPOINTMENTS TO THE STATE MILITARY COMMISSION ENSURED THAT IT MIRRORS ITS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT PARTY COUNTERPART: AND THE ADMITTED MILITARY BUDGET INCREASED BY 12.5 PERCENT. STATEMENTS BY MILITARY LEADERS IN THE MARGINS OF THE CONGRESS EMPHASISED THE DRIVE TOWARDS MILITARY MODERNISATION AND THE NEED FOR A STRONG NATIONAL DEFENCE, UNDERLINING THE PLA LEADERSHIP'S DETERMINATION TO ENSURE THAT THE ARMED FORCES FULLY BENEFIT FROM CHINA'S ECONOMIC GROWTH. (MEANWHILE THE OFFICIAL PROPAGANDA MACHINERY PUMPS OUT ABUSE AGAINST FOREIGN ANALYSTS WHO DARE TO SUGGEST THAT CHINA MIGHT ONE DAY BE ABLE TO PROJECT MILITARY POWER IN A WAY UNWELCOME TO ITS NEIGHBOURS.)
10. DENG XIAOPING WAS A DELEGATE OF THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY TO THE CONGRESS BUT FAILED TO APPEAR. HE IS PRESUMABLY NOT WELL ENOUGH EVEN TO MANAGE A PHOTO-CALL WITH THE NEW STATE LEADERSHIP.
CONCLUSIONS
1 T
11. WITH THEIR OLD-FASHIONED COMMUNIST RITUAL, NPC SESSIONS ARE A REMINDER OF HOW LITTLE POLITICAL PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN CHINA IN RECENT YEARS, PARTICULARLY BY COMPARISON WITH THE DRAMATIC ECONOMIC CHANGES. EVEN THOUGH THE COMMUNIST PARTY PICKS THE ''DELEGATES IT DOES NOT TRUST THEM WITH ANY SERIOUS DECISION-MAKING. ALL THE REPORTS DELIVERED BY GOVERNMENT LEADERS WERE APPROVED OVERWHELMINGLY: THE RESOLUTIONS PASSED WERE LITTLE MORE THAN PRECIS OF THE REPORTS WHICH WERE ENDORSED: AND ALL THE MAIN APPOINTMENTS HAD BEEN WIDELY RUMOURED WEEKS OR MONTHS BEFORE THE NPC OPENED. ON THE OTHER HAND, THOUGH THERE WAS NO DEBATE AT PLENARY SESSIONS, THE DELEGATES ALSO MET IN PROVINCIAL GROUPS, AND REPORTS OF THEIR DISCUSSIONS SOMETIMES REVEALED DIFFERENCES OF VIEW ON MINOR MATTERS, WHICH MAY/MAY INFLUENCE AT LEAST THE PRESENTATION OF OFFICIAL POLICY.
12.
Pay
THE LEADERSHIP WILL HAVE BEEN SATISFIED WITH THE IMPRESSION OF NATIONAL UNITY AND STABILITY CONVEYED BY THIS CONGRESS. ORDINARY PEOPLE PARTICULARLY THOSE IN DYNAMIC SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN PLEASED THAT NOTHING UNTOWARD EMERGED TO INTERFERE WITH THEIR DAILY LIVES. BUT THE OVERWHELMING IMPRESSION IS ONE OF PROFOUND INDIFFERENCE. EVEN THE FIERCE PROPAGANDA ABOUT HONG KONG SEEMED TO EXIST IN A WORLD APART: IT HAD NO APPARENT EFFECT ON THE PERSONAL RELATIONS OF INDIVIDUAL CHINESE WITH BRITISH RESIDENTS OR VISITORS. BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE LEVERS OF POLITICAL POWER REMAIN
PAGE
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NPC S
IN THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO PULLED THE NPC STRINGS.
MCLAREN
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
158
MAIN
147
.CHINA POLITICAL
FED
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD
INFO D
CONSULAR D
CRD
EASD/ODA//MR MOSSELMANS,
ECD (E)
ECONOMIC ADVISERS
CFSP UNIT
ERD
HKD
HRPU
JOINT DIRECTORATE
NEWS D
PLANNERS
RAD
SAD
SEAD
PS
PS/BARONESS CHALKER
PS/MR GOODLAD
PS/PUS
MR LANKESTER
MR APPLEYARD
CHIEF CLERK
SIR J COLES
MR AINSCOW
MR ALSTON
MR MILES
SIR M BURTON
MR HUM
MR BONE
MR MANNING
MR MASEFIELD
MR MUIR
ADDITIONAL
11
CAOFF//MR SANDARS
CAOFF //MISS NEVILLE-JONES
CAOFF//ASSESSMENTS STAFF
PS/PM
PM/PRESS SECRETARY DTI//MR LOVE OT2/2
BANKE//SIR P PETRIE
ECGD//MS GLENCROSS
NNNN
5
PAGE
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ན་
134125
MDHIAN 6000
UNCLASSIFIED
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 481
UNCLASSIFIED
HKC 024/1
TOP
C
7
131544 MDLIAN 4560
OF 020913Z APRIL 93
L
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
NPC: HONG KONG: LOCAL MEDIA COVERAGE
1. PEOPLE'S DAILY (2 APRIL) PRINTS THE FINAL VERSION OF THE GOVERNMENT WORK REPORT. THERE ARE TWO CHANGES TO THE DRAFT TEXT ON HONG KONG (PARA 2 OF SECTION 6).
I) THE SECOND SENTENCE ORIGINALLY READ (IN TRANSLATION) ''THIS IS CHINA'S SACRED RIGHT, WHICH WE CANNOT ALLOW TO BE DAMAGED IN ANY WAY. THE FINAL VERSION READS: ''THIS IS CHINA'S SACRED RIGHT, WHICH WE CANNOT ALLOW TO BE MEDDLED WITH OR UNDERMINED IN ANY WAY.''
II) THE FINAL SENTENCE OF THE HONG KONG SECTION WAS AMENDED IN LINE WITH WHAT LI PENG ACTUALLY SAID WHEN HE PRESENTED THE WORK REPORT (MY TELNO 365).
2.
PEOPLE'S DAILY (2 APRIL) ALSO REPORTS THE APPOINTMENT OF THE SECOND GROUP OF 49 HONG KONG SPECIAL ADVISERS. THEY AND THE FIRST GROUP OF ADVISERS WOULD MEET RELEVANT PEOPLE ON THE CHINESE SIDE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS IN PEKING AND WOULD EXCHANGE VIEWS ON HONG KONG MATTERS. PEOPLE'S DAILY REPEATED COMMENTS FROM PRO-PEKING HONG KONG NEWSPAPERS ABOUT THE CHOICE OF ADVISERS FROM A WIDE RANGE OF FIELDS, INCLUDING FORMER HKG OFFICIALS.
3.
PEOPLE'S DAILY (2 APRIL) REPORTS THE FIRST EDITION OF A MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY THE RESEARCH DIVISION OF THE HKMO, STATE COUNCIL, HONG KONG AND MACAO TODAY.'' CONTRIBUTIONS WERE MADE BY VARIOUS RELEVANT PERSONALITIES AND MEMBERS OF THE HKMO, INCLUDING LU PING AND ZHOU NAN.
MCLAREN
YYYY