XN000022-1993-08-17 — Page 2

1

TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1993

10TH ROUND OF SINO-BRITISH TALKS

THE BRITISH SIDE AND THE CHINESE SIDE HAVE AGREED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE, SIR ROBIN MCLAREN, BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO CHINA, AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE, MR JIANG ENZHU, VICE FOREIGN MINISTER OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, WILL HOLD THEIR TENTH ROUND OF TALKS IN BEIJING ON 4 AND 5 SEPTEMBER 1993 ON THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS IN HONG KONG IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION, THE PRINCIPLE OF CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASIC LAW AND THE RELEVANT AGREEMENTS AND UNDERSTANDINGS REACHED BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA.

CMB LABOUR DISPUTE SETTLED

* *

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN TODAY (TUESDAY) WELCOMED THE NEWS THAT CHINA MOTOR BUS (CMB) WORKERS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT HAD COME TO AN AGREEMENT OVER THE STAFF REDUNDANCY ISSUE.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID BOTH SIDES HAD TAKEN A PRAGMATIC AND POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS THEIR NEGOTIATIONS. WITH THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN MIND, BOTH SIDES HAD DEMONSTRATED CONSIDERABLE RESTRAINT AND PATIENCE DURING THE NEGOTIATION.

"THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC SHOULD BE RELIEVED TO KNOW THAT' THERE WILL BE NO DISRUPTION OF CMB SERVICES.'

I

"THE GOVERNMENT, THROUGH THE TRANSPORT

DEPARTMENT AND LABOUR

DEPARTMENT, HAS PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE IN ASSISTING BOTH SIDES TO COME TO A SETTLEMENT, HE SAID.

UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT STATISTICS FOR SECOND QUARTER

BOTH THE UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT

SITUATION

REMAINED

BROADLY STABLE IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.

-

JUNE 1993

THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR APRIL WAS 2.2%, AND THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 2.0%, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST LABOUR FORCE STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (TUESDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

/THE PROVISIONAL