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MAR 017/6
pr. Chuni augle
131433
MDHIAN 302684
TOP COPY Q DIST?
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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2493
OF 130708Z OCTOBER 92
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
LEGCO ADDRESS: CHINESE REACTION: 13 OCTOBER
SUMMARY
1. A VICE-DIRECTOR OF NCNA ACCUSES ME OF PUTTING ON A GUISE OF A 'SAVIOUR' TO GIVE DEMOCRACY AND THE AIRPORT TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG
KONG.
2. WEN WEI PAO AND COMMERCIAL DAILY LIST THOSE PARTS OF MY PROPOSALS WHICH THEY CONSIDER TO CONTRAVENE THE BASIC LAW.
DETAIL
3. SPEAKING AFTER A PUBLIC FUNCTION ON 12 OCTOBER, NCNA SPOKESMAN AND VICE-DIRECTOR ZHANG JUNSHENG SAID THAT 'SOMEONE IN HONG KONG HAD PUT ON THE GUISE OF THE SAVIOUR OF HONG KONG BY OFFERING TO FURTHER DEMOCRATISE HONG KONG AND TO GO IT ALONE ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT'. ZHANG JUNSHENG SAID THAT DEMOCRACY HAD ONLY BEGUN TO DEVELOP BECAUSE HONG KONG WOULD REVERT TO CHINA AND THAT THE BASIC LAW WOULD GIVE THE GREATEST POSSIBLE DEMOCRACY TO HONG KONG. HE SAID THAT HKG SHOULD STRICTLY ADHERE TO THE AIRPORT MOU. ASKED WHICH PART OF MY PROPOSALS BREACHED THE BASIC LAW, ZHANG SAID THAT CHINA HAD TO BE CONSULTED AND THAT THIS WAS THE BASIC PRINCIPLE. ON THE QUESTION OF A REFERENDUM, ZHANG SAID THAT THE BASIC LAW HAD GIVEN A CLEAR INDICATION OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE.
4. COMMERCIAL DAILY OF 12 OCTOBER AND WEN WEI PAO OF 13 OCTOBER HAVE TRIED TO LIST THOSE PARTS OF MY CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS WHICH THEY CONSIDER TO BE CONTRARY TO THE BASIC LAW. I AM DESCRIBED IN THE WEN WEI PAO ARTICLE AS A 'BRITISH IMPERIALIST POLITICIAN'. THE FOLLOWING SUMMARISES THE MAIN CRITICISMS FROM
BOTH PAPERS:
EXCO COMPOSITION DEPARTS FROM BL 55.
GOVERNOR'S QUESTION TIME GOES BEYOND WHAT IS PROVIDED FOR IN THE BASIC LAW WHICH STATES THAT THE GOVERNMENT, NOT THE HEAD OF EXECUTIVE, SHALL BE ACCOUNTABLE TO LEGCO. THIS MOVE OF MINE IS A
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