TNAG-1933-FCO40-2759-Future-of-Hong-Kong-13th-meeting-of-the-Sino-British-Joint-L-1989 — Page 13

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Ng Yee-man wrote in the HK Economic Times (28.9) that a legal expert told him that technically speaking, the HK Government only had to take Yang Yang outside the territory and it would be his own choice whether he went to Taiwan or returned to China.

Wah Kiu Yat Po (29.9) said if Yang Yang was sent back to China, it would aggravate the confidence crisis in HK because local residents would feel that the HK Government had come under pressure from China. The paper hoped that the K Government would take into account the confidence problem when handling the issue.

MAJOR ON HK

British Foreign Secretary John Major assured HK of the early introduction of a Bill of Rights and warned China that no government could indefinitely survive by the suppression of peaceful dissidents, the media (28.9) reported.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Mr Major said that Britain would continue vigorously to represent the interests of HK people in its discussions with China.

He said that practical reassurances were required from China to HK people so that they might feel secure ion their future both up to 1997 and beyond.

On the part of Britain, Mr Major said that it would introduce concrete measures to reassure people in the territory about their future. The measures included the early introduction of a 3111 of Rights, the development of more representative government and a package to encourage people essential to HK's future stability and prosperity to stay there by giving then guarantees of resettlement in Britain if they visned.

He stressed the nationality package would be designed not to strip HK of its people, but to give them hope and confidence to remain.

Major Meets Qian

British Foreign Secretary John Major and Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen reaffirmed their commitment to the Joint Declaration after a 90-minute meeting in New York, the media (30.9) reported in good coverage. Both said that they would maintain the stability and prosperity in HK.

Emerging from the meeting. Mr Major described the meeting as useful and successful. He had outlined to Mr Qian at the meeting how Britain would try to restore confidence in HK.

As for the stationing of troops in HK after 1997, Mr Major said that they had discussed the issue during a meeting in Paris and that there were no further changes on the situation.

Mr Qian told the newsmen that the talks wre constructive and that both sides had agreed to act strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Joint Declaration in order to preserve prosperity and stability in the territory.