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8.
RUSSELL SPURR'S COMMENTS:
The Moderator of the "FOCUS" programme on TVB-Pearl, Mr. Russell Spurr, said on Commercial Radio's Aileen Bridgewater Talkshow that the dismemberment of China by Western powers in the last century had left terrible scars on the psyche of the Chinese people so that the nation had become extremely sensitive to humiliation. This feeling was clearly illustrated in the Hu Na case and President Reagan's arms sales to Taiwan, both of which the Chinese interpreted as interference in the nation's internal affairs. Likewise, the HK issue was a sensitive subject for China because HK was Chinese territory that had been given away and must be returned or taken back. Referring to the diplomatic talks, he said though there had been a few contacts they had been stalled each time because of the sovereignty issue. In fact, there had not been any real negotiations at all. Reports of negotiations were all part of the moonshine that had been put around in HK by the Government. He was convinced that the outcome of the 1997 talks would only contain the terms of a handover and suggested that HK should start making plans for this eventual change. It might be Britain's concern that the best possible terms were achieved for the people of HK, but China had already guaranteed a capitalist system set in a communist society, wierd and hybrid as this might seem. Mr. Spurr had just returned from a visit to China at the invitation of the Chinese Institute for Strategic Studies.
9.
TALKS TO RESUME IN JUNE?
The Financial Daily reported on 14 April that the diplomatic talks would not resume before June. Quoting informed sources close to both the British and Chinese Governments, the paper said London wanted to re-open the talks after the 6th National People's Congress was convened. It was reported that China might spell out the administrative set-up of the Special Administrative Regions more specifically at the next NPC. But Britain did not wish to see any unilateral arrangement made for HK outside the negotiating table. Whitehall had been watching very closely China's strategies towards HK including the invitations of local groups to Beijing. Later in the week, the paper quoted sources in China as saying that Beijing hoped the Sino-British talks would achieve a breakthrough after Britain's general election, probably in October. A decision on HK's future was expected to be forthcoming if Mrs. Thatcher was re-elected. Likewise, the Labour Party would make a decisive move if it won the election. The sources also said China had not yet decided on the composition of its negotiating team. Mr. Yao Guang had made initial contacts with Sir Percy Cradock, but their meetings were confined mainly to procedural matters.
10.
PRESS LINES:
Prompted by the return of the academics' group, discussions in the newspapers focussed on whether the "HK people governing HK" proposition was feasible. Both left-wing and right-wing papers reinforced their respective positions on the issue.
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