!
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2317
OF 240952Z JULY 90
UNCLASSIFIED
HK3301
25 JUL 1990
hi 24/7
TOP COPY Q/DIST?
INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
43
174701
MDLIAN 8045
INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP
SUMMARY
1. THE MEDIA ACCORDED GOOD COVERAGE TO THE VISIT OF FRANCIS MAUDE, THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE AND THE DRAFT BILL OF RIGHTS.
FCO MINISTER
2. QUOTING BRITISH SOURCES, SING TAO JIH PAO AND THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS (18.7) REPORTED THAT MR MAUDE WOULD HOLD DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS ON HK'S PLANNED INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECTS AND PROGRESS MADE BY THE JLG. THE BRITISH SIDE HOPED THAT THE CHINESE WOULD SPEED UP THE PACE OF THE JLG THE SOURCES SAID. THE SOURCES CITED THE SETTING UP OF THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL ON HK AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE JLG'S SLOW PROGRESS. HOWEVER THE PAPER QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES AS SAYING THAT BRITAIN'S ALLEGATIONS WOULD NOT HELP IMPROVE BILATERAL RELATIONS. THE CHINESE SAID THAT AS THE BL HAD BEEN FINALISED, THEY COULD CONCENTRATE ON THE SETTING UP OF THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL.
3. COMMENTING ON REPORTS THAT LI PENG WOULD MEET MR MAUDE IN PEKING, TIN TIN DAILY NEWS (24.7) QUOTED SOURCES CLOSE TO CHINA AS SAYING THAT IT WAS AN UNPRECEDENTED MOVE BY THE CHINESE TO ARRANGE FOR LI TO MEET MR MAUDE. THE SOURCES SAID THAT CHINA HAD NOT CHANGED ITS STAND ON THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE AND THE DRAFT BILL OF RIGHTS. THE HK CHINA NEWS AGENCY, IN A BY-LINED SHORT COMMENTARY, SAID THAT THE VISIT WOULD RENEW THE DISRUPTED HIGH-LEVEL CONTACTS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN, A NUMBER OF PAPERS (21.7) REPORTED. IT SAID THAT MR MAUDE, APART FROM HOLDING TALKS WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS ON MATTERS OF MUTUAL INTEREST AND EXCHANGING VIEWS ON CONTROVERSIAL MATTERS, WOULD ATTEMPT TO REMOVE OBSTACLES FOR BILATERAL CONTACTS AT AN EVEN HIGHER LEVEL. THEREFORE, IT WAS NATURAL THAT ALL SECTIONS OF THE HK COMMUNITY PINNED HOPES ON HIS VISIT.
4. THE MEDIA (24.7) ACCORDED PROMINENT AND EXTENSIVE COVERAGE TO
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