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DELEGATION REGISTERED CONCERN THAT CANADA HELD FOR FUTURE OF
HKONG AND EXPRESSED VIEW THAT HEALTHY HKONG WAS IN BEST INTERESTS
OF BOTH CANADA AND CHINA. FU CONCURRED WITH CANADIAN ASSERTION
AND REITERATED CHINAS COMMITMENT TO HKONGS FUTURE AS GUARANTEED
BY 1984 JOINT DECLARATION. DISCUSSION THEN BECAME, FOR FIRST AND
ONLY TIME, SOMEWHAT HEATED WHEN FU TURNED SESSION OVER TO LI
ZHONGYING, CURRENTLY VSECY GEN OF THE NPC STANDING CTTEE, AND
FORMER DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF STATE COUNCIL HKONG MACAO AFFAIRS
OFFICE. LI TURNED OUT TO BE UNFORTUNATE CHOICE OF INTERLOCUTOR,
FROM CHINESE PERSPECTIVE, AND PLACING WHOLE BLAME FOR CURRENT
EKONG CONFIDENCE CRISIS ON QUOTE MAN-MADE UNQUOTE IRRITANTS,
SPECIFICALLY ON BRITISH RIGHT OF ABODE PACKAGE. MPS FOUND IT VERY
HARD TO ACCEPT LOGIC OF CHINESE REASONING THAT IT WAS ABODE PACKAGE,
AND NOT/NOT ACTIONS OF CHINESE GOVT OVER PAST YEAR WHICH
HAVE SO ADVERSELY AFFECTED HKONGS CONFIDENCE, AND WERE LAUNCHING
INTO SPIRITED DEFENCE OF BRITISH POLICY, WHEN IT WAS AGREED TO
ADJOURN MEETING FOR LUNCH.
7. ALTHOUGH CHINESE SIDE DID NOT PROVIDE SATISFACTORY ANSWERS ON
HUMAN RIGHTS QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS WERE RECEIVED POLITELY AND
GRACIOUSLY. CHINESE GOVT, AS DEMONSTRATED BY FU, RECOGNIZES
POLITICAL REALITIES OF WESTERN HUMAN RIGHTS POLICIES AND APPEARS
TO BE WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT THESE DIFFERENCES WILL CONTINUE TO
IMPACT UPON CHINAS FOREIGN RELATIONS. UNDERLYING TEEME OF CHINESE
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