TNAG-2210-FCO40-3170-Future-of-Hong-Kong-political-parties-1991 — Page 2

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ویر

p.a_ Portical Parties (sen) / $17) 121747 40

this 011/1

MDLÍAN 2637

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 3883

OF 180443Z DECEMBER 91

INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, BIS NEW YORK INFO HKGO SAN FRANCISCO, UKMIS GENEVA, HKGO GENEVA

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUND-UP

SUMMARY

1. THE CFA ISSUE AND VISITS BY LORD CAITHNESS AND VICE DIRECTOR OF THE HK AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, CHEN ZIYING WERE GIVEN EXTENSIVE COVERAGE.

CFA

2. THE LEGCO DEBATE ON THE CFA AGREEMENT WAS WIDELY REPORTED IN ALL MAJOR PAPERS (5.12), WHICH NOTED THE ADOPTED OF SIMON IP'S PROPOSED MOTION FOR MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE COMPOSITION OF THE COURT BY A 34- 11 VOTE. SPEAKING AFTER THE DEBATE THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID HKG WOULD CONTINUE TO DRAFT LEGISLATION AND THEN PUT FORWARD TO LEGCO FOR CONSIDERATION. HE REITERATED THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO REOPEN NEGOTIATION WITH THE CHINESE. REPEATING THE CHINESE STANCE, NCNA HK BRANCH VICE-DIRECTOR WANG PINGQING SAID (5.12) THAT THE AGREEMENT COULD NOT BE CHANGED. SOME PAPERS QUOTED MR GALSWORTHY AS SAYING AT A PRESS BRIEFING (6.12) THAT HE BELIEVED THAT JLG TALKS AND SINO- BRITISH RELATIONS WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE LEGCO VOTE. CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN WU JIANFAN SAID (6.12) THAT LEGCO, BEING AN ADVISORY BODY TO THE GOVERNOR, HAD NO POWER TO AMEND OR REPEAL THE AGREEMENT.

3. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS QUOTED A FCO SPOKESMAN AS SAYING THAT THE AGREEMENT WAS IN LINE WITH THE JD AND THE BL AND THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE CFA TO BE SET UP BEFORE 12997. REJECTING THE POSSIBILITY OF RENEGOTIATIONS ON THE DEAL, THE GOVERNOR SAID IT WAS A MATTER OF SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE PUTTING DRAFT LEGISLATION TO LEGCO AND LEGCO SHOULD TAKE ANOTHER LOOK THEN AT THE REAL OPTION AND DECIDE. THE FOREIGN SECRETARY WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THE NEXT STAGE WOULD BE TO DRAW UP LEGISLATION AND LEGCO WOULD BE CONSULTED ON THE DRAFTING STAGE IN DUE COURSE. THE LABOUR PARTY SAID LEGCO'S DECISION ON THE CFA WAS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN SHOWING LEGCO HAD ESTABLISHED ITS

INDEPENDENCE.

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