TNAG-2079-FCO40-2959-Hong-Kong-press-coverage-and-reports-1990 — Page 352

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REVISED VERSION OF THE DRAFT BASIC LAW. HOWEVER, HE WAS WORRIED THAT THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY WOULD BE JEOPARDISED BY SOME SOME HK PEOPLE. HE HOPED THAT HK POLITICIANS IN FUTURE WOULD TAKE HK'S INTERESTS TO HEART AND REFLECT HK'S REAL SITUATION TO PEKING. DR RAYMOND WU SAID THAT THE REVISED BL WAS AN IMPROVEMENT AND HOPED

THAT MORE HK PEOPLE WOULD BE PLEASED.

FOREIGN SECRETARY

5. THE MEDIA (17.2) ACCORDED PROMINENT COVERAGE TO AN ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE FOREIGN SECRETARY IN PARLIAMENT ON THE TERRITORY'S FUTURE POLITICAL ARRANGEMENTS. THE REPORTS PLAYED UP THE ARRANGEMENT UNDER WHICH 18 LEGCO SEATS WOULD BE FILLED BY DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1991

AND THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT PLANNED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS TO AT LEAST 20 IN 1995. THE REPORTS NOTED THAT HE TOLD PARLIAMENT THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO PERSUADE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN THE TERRITORY BEFORE 1997. THE FCO MINISTER WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR HK, SAID IN HANOI THAT THE SINO- BRITISH AGREEMENT ON INTRODUCING 18 DIRECTLY ELECTED LEGCO SEATS IN 1991 WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE OMELCO CONSENSUS AND THAT HK PEOPLE SHOULD ACCEPT THE AGREEMENT, THE MEDIA (20.2) REPORTED. MR MAUDE STRESSED THAT BRITAIN HAD DONE ITS UTMOST TO PERSUADE CHINA TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS.

HK GOVERNMENT

6. HK ISSUED A STATEMENT ON FEBRUARY 16 IN RESPONSE TO THE OUTCOME OF THE BLDC PLENARY SESSION. THE STATEMENT SAID THAT EXTENSIVE

DISCUSSIONS HAD BEEN HELD BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS WITH THE TWIN OBJECTIVES OF SECURING A FASTER DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY AND CONTINUITY THROUGH 1997. THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, THE GOVERNMENT HAD ENSURED THAT THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN HK HAD BEEN CLEARLY REPRESENTED TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. IT SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE ITS EFFORTS TO PERSUADE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE MORE DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN THE TERRITORY.

CHINESE REACTION TO UK/HK STATEMENTS

B

7 LI HOU, SAID THAT IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO INTRODUCE MORE THAN 20 DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN 1995 SINCE THE BL HAD ALREADY

SPECIFIED THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS, THE MEDIA (18

.2) REPORTED. HE SAID THAT CHANGES TO THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED

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