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RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1687
OF 221146Z JUNE 92
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
к
pa
Constit.
вик
135541
MDHIAN 8819
HMB α2/2
TOP COPY Q DIST?
MIPT: CONSULTATION ON APPOINTMENTS TO EXCO: PRESS REPORTS
1. THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (SCMP) REPORTED IN ITS HEADLINE
ON 20 JUNE QUOTE CHINA DEMANDS SAY ON EXCO UNQUOTE. IT SAID THAT
THE VERBAL BATTLE BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN TOOK A SERIOUS TURN
FOR HONG KONG WITH BEIJING DEMANDING CONSULTATION ON APPOINTMENTS TO EXCO.
2. THE SCMP REPORTED THAT GUO FENGMIN INSISTED THAT BRITAIN
SHOULD QUOTE DISCUSS EXCO APPOINTMENTS WITH BEIJING SINCE
APPOINTEES WHO MIGHT OPENLY SUBVERT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND
OPPOSE THE BASIC LAW WOULD AFFECT HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND
PROSPERITY UNQUOTE. GUO WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID QUOTE ALL
IMPORTANT ISSUES SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH US. THERE NEEDS TO BE
CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASIC LAW. THERE SHOULD BE DISCUSSION ON IMPORTANT ISSUES UNQUOTE. HE BALANCED THIS BY REPORTING MY STATEMENT THAT EXCO APPOINTMENTS WERE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNOR AND THAT SPECULATION ABOUT WHAT THE NEW GOVERNOR WOULD OR WOULD NOT DO WAS UNJUSTIFIED (MY TELNO 1672).
3. THE SCMP ARTICLE ALSO REFERRED TO AN EDITORIAL IN THE LEFT-
WING TA KUNG PAO ON 19 JUNE THAT CHINA MIGHT END ITS CO-OPERATION
WITH HONG KONG SHOULD UDHK MEMBERS BE APPOINTED TO EXCO. THIS SAID IF UDHK MEMBERS WERE APPOINTED TO EXCO, THEIR HOSTILE POLITICAL ATTITUDE AND CONFRONTATIONAL STANCE TOWARDS CHINA WOULD AFFECT THE INCREASINGLY HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HK AND
CHINA. THIS WOULD NO DOUBT END THE CO-OPERATIVE AND CONSULTATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE COUNCIL HK AND MACAU OFFICE AND
OTHER OFFICES AND THE HK GOVERNMENT. TO ENSURE A THROUGH TRAIN AND SMOOTH TRANSITION IN 1997, THE VIEWS OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE RESPECTED.
4. THE LEFT-WING WEN WEI PAO CARRIED A PROMINENT ARTICLE TODAY (22 JUNE), REFERRING TO MR. GOODLAD'S MEETING WITH THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR IN LONDON LAST FRIDAY (19 JUNE). MR. GOODLAD WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT APPOINTMENTS TO EXCO WERE A MATTER FOR
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