TNAG-1472-FCO40-2003-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 236

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4. LU PING: ON 22 JANUARY PAPERS REPORTED THAT LU HAD

REJECTED A SUGGESTION PUT FORWARD BY LEGCO/BLCC MEMBER HELMUT SOHMEN THAT THE BL SHOULD BE DRAFTED BY INTERNATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL LAW EXPERTS. LU SAID THAT CHINA HAD THE NECESSARY EXPERTISE, BUT WOULD WELCOME THE VIEWS OF INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS. SING PAO REPORTED THAT LU HAD REQUESTED A LEGCO/BLDC MEMBER TO ACT AS A MIDDLEMAN TO PERSUADE OTHER UNOFFICIALS TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE IN SEEKING A MEETING WITH THE VISITING CHINESE TEAM. HOWEVER, THE PAPER CONTINUED THAT SOME UNOFFICIALS FELT THAT AS JI PENGFEI DID NOT MEET THEM, THEY WOULD BE DOWNGRADING THEIR OWN POSITION AND DECIDED AGAINST TAKING THE INITIATIVE. TIN TIN DAILY REPORTED THAT SOME UNOFFICIALS WHO HAD CLOSE CONNECTIONS WITH CHINA WERE LOBBYING LU TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE HIMSELF. HK DIALY NEWS REPORTED LU AS INDIRECTLY INDICATING THAT HE HAD NO INTENTION OF HAVING AN OFFICIAL MEETING WITH THE UMELCO BL PANEL. LU TOLD NEWSMEN THAT HE HAD ALREADY MET BOTH SIR S.Y. CHUNG AND LYDIA DUNN. SPEAKING DURING A VISHT TO THE HEUNG YEE KUK, LU SAID THAT THE JLG WOULD INTERPRET THE MEANING OF TERMS USED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION IF FURTHER ELABORATION WERE REQUIRED. HE TOLD THE KUK THAT INDIGENOUS NEW TERRITORIES RESIDENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN BORN OVERSEAS WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HK.

5. HK DAILY NEWS SAID THAT BLCC MEMBER XU SIMIN HAD TOLD LU THAT CHINESE LEADERS SHOULD BE DISCREET IN SWHAT THEY SAID. IF THEY WENT BACK ON THEIR STATEMENTS BECAUSE THEY FOUND THAT THINGS HAD CHANGED, HK PEOPLE WOULD LOSE CONFIDENCE BECAUSE OF SUCH INCONSISTENCY. LU MET REPRESENTATIVES OF A NUMBER OF PRESSURE GROUPS. MEETING POINT CALLED FOR A MAJORITY OF DIRECTLY ELECTED LEGCO SEATS: THE HK OBSERVERS SAID SOME SHOULD BE DIRECTLY ELECTED: AND THE PROGRESSIVE HK SOCIETY SAND REFORMS SHOULD BE GRADUAL AND DIRECT ELECTIONS INTRODUCED PROGRESSIVELY. HK PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATION CALLED FOR THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES TO REMAIN AS THE HIGHEST ORGAN OF POWER, WHILE THE HK AFFAIRS SOCIETY PROPOSED A COMMITTEE OR PRAESIDIUM SYSTEM UNDER WHICH THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE WAS NOT (NOT) ABOVE ANY OF THE COMMITTEES. YESTERDAY LU MET REPRESENTATIVES OF CIVIL SERVICE UNIONS. THE VARIOUS SUGGESTIONS PUT TO HIM INCLUDED THAT SECRETARY LEVEL POSTS IN THE SARG SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE FILLED BY CIVIL SERVANTS WHO SHOULD BE EXOFFICIO MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE: THAT THE BL SHOULD CLEARLY DEFINE THE POWERS OF THE EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATURE AND JUDICIARY: THAT THE LOCALISATION POLICY SHOULD NOT (NOT) BE WRITTEN INTO THE BL: AND THAT BOTH THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATURE SHOULD BE CONSTITUTED BY A COMBINATION OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT ELECTIONS. SEPARATELY LU CONFIRMED REPORTS OF AN ADDITION TO THE STATE COUNCIL HKMAO (PARA 5 OF MY TELNO 219), BUT SAID IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BL. LU TOLD REPORTERS THAT THE VIEWS HE HAD COLLECTED WOULD BE COMPILED INTO A PAPER FOR THE BLDC MEETING IN APRIL. HE SAID THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME FOR HIM ro PROCESS THE VIEWS AND REPORT TO HK PEOPLE BEFORE HE RETURNED TO PEKING, NOR WOULD HE GIVE A PRESS CONFERENCE BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE BLCC DECIDED TO SET UP EIGHT SUBGROUPS TO STUDY VARIOUS AREAS RELATED TO THE BL.

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16.