UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2484
OF 100505Z OCTOBER 92
UNCLASSIFIED
Has 01716 Мав
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
pa. China
"Angle (81)
125252
MDHIAN/2812
TOP COPY Q DIST?
Not so
LEGCO ADDRESS: CHINESE REACTION: 10 OCTOBER
SUMMARY
1.
THE SCMP CLAIMS THAT PEKING WILL COLD SHOULDER ME BY NOT ARRANGING A MEETING WITH LI PENG DURING MY VISIT LATER THIS MONTH. ARTICLE BY WONG PO-YAN ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE CARRIED BY ALL OF THE COMMUNIST PRESS.
DETAIL
2. THE SCMP LEADS WITH ITS COLD SHOULDER STORY. BUT WAH KIU YAT PO QUOTES SOURCES IN PEKING AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS CALMLY WATCHING THE EFFECTS OF MY PUBLIC OPINION CARD, BASED ON WHICH IT WILL DETERMINE WHETHER SENIOR OFFICIALS SUCH AS LI PENG WILL MEET ME. WAH KIU STATES THAT LI PENG WILL BE FREE DURING THE THREE DAYS OF MY VISIT.
3. WEN WEI PO CLAIMS THAT I WILL GO AHEAD WITH MY CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS DESPITE CRITICISMS FROM DIFFERENT SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY. IT CARRIES THE VIEWS OF A NUMBER OF PRO-CHINA FIGURES, ALL OF THEM PREDICTABLY CRITICAL OF MY ADDRESS.
4 -
ALL THE COMMUNIST PAPERS CARRY AN ARTICLE BY AIRPORT CONSULTATIVE CHAIRMAN WONG PO-YAN WHICH STATES THAT MY PROPOSAL ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE 1995 ELECTION COMMITTEE IS VERY
Strong POSSIBLY NOT IN LINE WITH THE LETTER OF THE BASIC LAW AND
DEFINITELY CONTRAVENES ITS SPIRIT. IF MEMBERS RETURNED BY THIS COMMITTEE ARE NOT ELECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BASIC LAW, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BECOME MEMBERS OF THE FIRST SAR LEGCO IN 1997.
5. THE NEW FINANCIAL POST SAYS THAT MY PROPOSALS AMOUNT TO A QUOTE BRITISH MADE LIMOUSINE UNQUOTE RATHER THAN A QUOTE DEMOCRACY THROUGH TRAIN UNQUOTE.
PATTEN
1
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