UNCLASSIFIED
176127
MDL
N 8892
THAT ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT A GOOD THING TO KEEP THINGS IN SECRET, CONTACTS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA AT TOP LEVEL WERE VERY NECESSARY. MARTIN LEE SAID THAT HE WAS NOT OPPOSED TO SECRET CONTACTS AS LONG AS SUCH CONTACTS WOULD NOT BETRAY HONG KONG'S INTERESTS. A FEW INDEPENDENT PAPERS SAID THAT SIR PERCY'S VISIT WAS AN EFFORT BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO TRY TO IMPROVE SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS. THE SCM POST (8.1) SAID THAT QUIET DIPLOMACY WAS BETTER FOR HONG KONG.
FOREIGN SECRETARY'S VISIT
5. THE FCO ANNOUNCED THAT THE FOREIGN SECRETARY WOULD VISIT HONG KONG FROM JANUARY 13 TO 16, THE MEDIA (4.1) REPORTED. THE REPORTS SAID THAT MR HURD WOULD HANDLE ALL ISSUES RELATING TO THE TERRITORY DURING HIS VISIT. THE ISSUES INCLUDED THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE, THE VBP PROBLEM, DEMOCRATISATION AND THE ECONOMY. LEGCO MEMBER PAUL CHENG SAID THAT OMELCO MEMBERS WOULD DISCUSS THE NATIONALITY ISSUE, THE PACE OF POLITICAL REFORM, THE BASIC LAW AND THE VBP PROBLEM WITH MR HURD DURING HIS VISIT TO THE TERRITORY, THE PAPERS REPORTED.
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
6. OMELCO MEMBERS, THE SHA TIN DISTRICT BOARD AND SEVERAL POLITICAL GROUPS HAD COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF THE OMELCO CONSENSUS ON THE FUTURE POLITICAL STRUCTURE. A NUMBER OF OMELCO MEMBERS, INCLUDING SENIOR LEGCO MEMBER ALLEN LEE, SAID THAT AS THE BLDC HAD RECENTLY DECIDED TO ADOPT A SLOWER PACE OF POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE TERRITORY, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT ATTACH TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO THE QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE WHEN DECIDING THE LOCAL POLITICAL REFORMS BEFORE 1997.
CALL FOR RESIGNATION
7. LEGCO MEMBER MARTIN LEE SAID THAT IF THE BRITISH-HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, WHILE TRYING TO MATCH HONG KONG'S POLITICAL SYSTEM WITH THE BASIC LAW, REJECTED THE OMELCO CONSENSUS, THE GOVERNOR AND OMELCO MEMBERS SHOULD CONSIDER RESIGNATION, THE MEDIA (5.1) REPORTED. HOWEVER, LEE MADE IT CLEAR TO RADIO 3 THAT HE SAID ONLY THE NON-GOVERNMENT MEMBERS OF THE TWO COUNCILS SHOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER RESIGNING. SEVERAL LEGCO MEMBERS INTERVIEWED DID NOT AGREE WITH LEE'S SUGGESTION.
NATIONALITY PACKAGE
8. THE OMELCO PANEL ON NATIONALITY HAD DENOUNCED CHINA'S CRITICISMS OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE, THE MEDIA (4.1) REPORTED. THE PANEL'S CONVENOR, ROSANNA TAM, SAID OMELCO MEMBERS WERE DISAPPOINTED BY CHINA'S COMMENTS ON THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE. SHE
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