TNAG-1397-FCO40-1869-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1985 — Page 89

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the Hong Kong members of the Drafting Committee were of the opinion

that the setting up of the Consultative Committee would require the

assistance of the NCNA's Hong Kong Branch. At the preparatory meeting

of July 17, the local members of the Drafting Committee agreed that a

working body should be formed while preparations for setting up the

Consultative Committee were in progress and they sought assistance from

the NCNA's local branch. In view of the above reasons, the local NCNA

held discussions individually with the six members of the working group

before July 23 and obtained their consent to allow Yang Sheng to attend

the group's meetings as an NCNA official so as to assist in the setting

up of the Consultative Committee.

The sending of an NCNA official 'on invitation' to attend the working group's meetings also finds justification in the speech of Ji

Pengfei, chairman of the Basic Law Drafting Committee, which concluded

the committee's first meeting. In his speech, Mr Ji remarked that the

Drafting Committee's members in Hong Kong would be appointed to set up

the Consultative Committee and suggested that the NCNA's Hong Kong Branch

provide assistance. The NCNA could, therefore, send officials on the

pretext of 'providing assistance'.

It is hard to understand how the NCNA official could be said

to have been sent 'on invitation' since it was the NCNA itself which took

the initiative to discuss the matter with the members of the group in-

dividually. Moreover, the meetings of the group were held behind closed

doors, but the doors were opened specially for the official from NCNA.

Further more, the deputy secretary-general of the Basic Law Drafting

Committee, Mao Junnian, is already an NCNA official. Why must they send another one, Yang Sheng, to provide assistance? Lastly, who would believe that Yang Sheng was really there to provide assistance?

Nevertheless, what was done was done. Yang Sheng continued to attend the subsequent meetings of the working group. He was only absent

in front of the cameras when the group members met the press.

/....

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