RESTRICTED
167065
MDHIAN 2579
NCNA EVEN AFTER A COPY HAD BEEN HANDED OVER IN PEKING.
(VII) 21 OCTOBER
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GOVERNOR'S MEETINGS WITH LU PING (AND SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS WITH QIAN AND JIANG ENZHU). THEY POINTED OUT IN DETAIL TO THE GOVERNOR THE PRECISE AREAS OF HIS PROPOSALS
WHICH CONFLICTED WITH JD/BL.
(VIII) 10 NOVEMBER ZHOU NAN.
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ANOTHER MEETING BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND
IN SUM, ZHANG TOLD THE PRESS THAT IN ALL THESE EXCHANGES THE CHINESE SIDE HAD MADE CLEAR HOW THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS HAD CONTRAVENED THE JD AND THE BL. BUT THE GOVERNOR HAD CHOSEN 'NEITHER TO LISTEN NOR TO READ THEM'.
3. IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS, WE HAVE BEEN TAKING THE FOLLOWING LINE:
- NOTED MR ZHANG'S REMARKS. THE FOREIGN SECRETARY BRIEFED MR QIAN QICHEN IN NEW YORK ON 25 SEPTEMBER AND THERE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY AN EXCHANGE OF MESSAGES ABOUT MY PROPOSALS. IN ESSENCE, THE CHINESE RESPONSE WAS THAT THE GOVERNOR SHOULD NOT SET OUT HIS PROPOSALS IN HIS LEGCO ADDRESS. THAT HE SHOULD FIRST SETTLE THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES IN CONSULTATIONS WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS.
-
THE GOVERNOR'S VIEW WAS THAT HE OWED IT TO LEGCO AND THE COMMUNITY TO SET OUT HIS PROPOSALS SO THAT A FULL AND OPEN DEBATE CAN TAKE PLACE.
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THE WORDS MEAN WHAT THEY SAY. PROPOSALS MEAN PROPOSALS, NOT FINAL DECISIONS. CONSULTATIONS MEANS CONSULTATIONS NOTHING MORE. WE REMAIN VERY OPEN FOR CONSULTATIONS WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS AT
ANY TIME.
PATTEN
YYYY
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