TNAG-2079-FCO40-2959-Hong-Kong-press-coverage-and-reports-1990 — Page 372

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MDLIA 0626

PLANNED MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECTS.

5. WEN WEI PO (13.1) SAID IN AN EDITORIAL THAT PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE DURING THE DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND CHINESE OFFICIALS ON VARIOUS HONG KONG PROBLEMS. BOTH SIDES CONTINUED A DIALOGUE AND HOLD

BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE A SMOOTH TRANSITION.

FOREIGN SECRETARY

THE PAPER BELIEVED THAT IF SINCERE TALKS, THEY WOULD

6. THE MEDIA (14-16.1) ACCORDED PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THE VISIT OF DOUGLAS HURD TO THE TERRITORY. MOST REPORTS (14.1) QUOTED MR HURD AS REITERATING BRITAIN'S COMMITMENTS TO HONG KONG AND THE MAINTENANCE OF HONG KONG'S INTERESTS. THE REPORTS NOTED THAT HE STRESSED THAT CHINA'S CRITICISMS WOULD NOT AFFECT BRITAIN'S DECISIONS ON WHAT SHOULD BE DONE FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE. HE SAID THAT DECISIONS HAD BEEN TAKEN ON THE VBP PROBLEM AND THE NATIONALITY ISSUE, IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS. MR HURD HOPED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT COULD MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE POLITICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TERRITORY IN 1991, WITHIN WEEKS.

7. ON SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS, MR HURD SAID THAT THE RELATIONS WERE NOT ALWAYS EASY AND THAT BRITAIN WOULD CONTINUE A DISCUSSION AND DIALOGUE WITH CHINA, PARTICULARLY ON MATTERS CONNECTED WITH THE JD. HE SAID THAT IT WAS NECESSARY FOR BOTH SIDES TO MAINTAIN COMMUNICATIONS. IN A SPEECH AT A LUNCHEON MEETING, MR HURD HINTED THAT BRITAIN AND HONG KONG MIGHT TAKE ITS OWN DECISION ON PRE-1997 POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IF CONVERGENCE WITH THE BL COULD NOT BE ACHIEVED. ON THE JD, MR HURD SAID THAT IT REQUIRED CONTINUOUS DISCUSSION ON EQUAL TERMS WITH CHINA. HE SAID THAT AS NEITHER THE JOINT DECLARATION NOR THE WORK OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP COULD MAINTAIN HONG KONG PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE IT WAS NECESSARY TO WORK OUT A NATIONALITY PACKAGE FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE. HE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE DRAFTING OF THE B.L. WAS A MATTER FOR THE CHINESE SIDE, BRITAIN AS A SIGNATORY OF THE JD HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY OF REFLECTING HONG KONG PEOPLE'S VIEWS TO THE CHINESE.

NATIONALITY

·

8. RTHK RADIO-3 (11.1) REPORTED THAT IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE BBC ON THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE, MR HURD SAID THAT HE WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S REACTION TO THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE AS CHINA HAD SAID THAT THE GRANTING OF BRITISH PASSPORTS WAS A MATTER FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. SCMP AND THE HK STANDARD (15.1) REPORTED THAT A POLL, CONDUCTED BY LONDON WEEKEND TV'S ''EYEWITNESS'' PROGRAMME, REVEALED FOR THE FIRST TIME THE

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