TNAG-2079-FCO40-2959-Hong-Kong-press-coverage-and-reports-1990 — Page 357

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MDLIAN

4. ACCORDING TO THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS CHINA AND BRITAIN HAD FAILED TO ARRIVE AT A COMMON VIEW ON FOUR AREAS: THE PROPORTION OF DIRECT ELECTED SEATS IN THE LEGISLATURE, THE SETTING UP OF AN ELECTORAL COMMITTEE, THE MECHANISM FOR COUNTING VOTES SEPARATELY AND THE RESTRICTION OF EXPATRIATES TO 15 PER CENT OF THE LEGISLATURE. THE BRITISH BELIEVED THAT CHINA AND BRITAIN HAD TO MAKE CONCESSIONS ON THE FOUR AREAS IF THEY WANTED TO REACH A CONSENSUS. THE BRITISH POINTED OUT THAT THE POLITICAL ARRANGEMENTS HAMMERED OUT BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN MUST BE ACCEPTABLE TO OMELCO MEMBERS BEFORE IT COULD GAIN ACCEPTANCE BY THE PUBLIC.

5. MANY PAPERS (9.2) CARRIED A REPORT IN THE INDEPENDENT, WHICH QUOTED CABINET SOURCES AS SAYING THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD REJECT THE LIMITATIONS ON DEMOCRACY IN HK WANTED BY THE CHINESE. SPEAKING IN PARLIAMENT, FOREIGN SECRETARY DOUGLAS HURD GAVE A CLEAR SIGNAL THAT BRITAIN WAS READY TO GO SOME WAY TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF HK LEADERS FOR MORE DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL' BEFORE THE TERRITORY WAS HANDED OVER TO CHINA IN 1997, THE MEDIA (9.2) REPORTED. DR DAVID OWEN WROTE IN THE TIMES THAT BRITAIN SHOULD COMPROMISE WITH CHINA IN HANDLING THE QUESTION OF HK, SOME PAPERS (11.2) REPORTED.

6. LU PING TOLD MING PAO (11.2) THAT SINO-BRITISH NEGOTIATIONS ON FUTURE POLITICAL REFORMS WOULD NOT HINDER DECISIONS OF THE DRAFTERS. HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT SINO-BRITISH DISCUSSIONS WERE MEANT TO ENSURE CONVERGENCE AND A SMOOTH TRANSITION IN 1997 RATHER THAN MAKING DECISIONS FOR DRAFTERS ON HK'S FUTURE POLITICAL STRUCTURE. HE SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF OVERALL CONVERGENCE, NOT ONLY ON POLITICAL STRUCTURES BEFORE AND AFTER

1997.

7. QUOTING SOURCES, RTHK (13.2) REPORTED THAT BRITAIN WOULD MAKE CONCESSIONS ON THE PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION IN THE TERRITORY BY AGREEING THAT A TOTAL OF 20 DIRECTLY ELECTED LEGCO SEATS WOULD BE INTRODUCED IN 1995.

BLDC PLENUM

8. BLDC SECRETARY-GENERAL LI HOU SAID THAT ANY PROPOSAL WHICH WAS SPONSORED BY FIVE DRAFTERS COULD BE PUT TO A VOTE AT THE PLENUM. IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS ON WHETHER THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS FOR THE FIRST SAR LEGISLATURE WOULD BE FURTHER INCREASED LI SAID THAT THE RESULTS WOULD DEPEND ON DELIBERATIONS AT THE PLENUM. HOWEVER, 24 DIRECT ELECTED SEATS WOULD BE TOO MANY, HE SAID. HE DID NOT SEE ANY CORRELATION BETWEEN SEPARATE VOTING AND THE PACE OF

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