TNAG-2267-FCO40-3264-Labour-Party-policy-on-Hong-Kong-1991 — Page 4

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MDLIAN 1494

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FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 3458

OF 040904Z NOVEMBER 91

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

MARTIN LEE AND LEE WING-TAT IN LONDON.

1. THE LOCAL PRESS AND MEDIA HAVE GIVEN EXTENSIVE COVERAGE TO THE

VISIT OF MARTIN LEE AND LEE WING-TAT TO LONDON AND TO THEIR

MEETINGS WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE LEADER OF THE LABOUR PARTY.

2. FOLLOWING HIS MEETING WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE, MARTIN LEE WAS REPORTED TO HAVE TOLD JOURNALISTS THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD DESCRIBED THE SEPTEMBER ELECTIONS AS A 'SUCCESS' AND HAD

GIVEN MR. LEE AN ASSURANCE THAT BRITAIN WOULD NEGOTIATE WITH

CHINA FOR A HIGHER PROPORTION OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN 1995. MOST NEWSPAPERS REPOTED A FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESMAN AS CONFIRMING

THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S COMMITMENT TO TAKE UP THE DIRECTLY EELECTED SEATS ISSUE WITH THE PRC. THESE REPORTED ADDED THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD MADE I CLEAR THAT THIS COULD NOT BE DONE IMMEDIATELY: MARTIN LEE WAS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN 'VERY

DISAPPOINTED' AT THIS.

3. THIS ISSUE WAS ALSO TAKEN UP THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA. LORD CAITHNESS CONFIRMED ON RTHK THAT MARTIN LEE HAD SECURED A COMMITMENT FROM MINISTERS TO REOPEN NEGOTIATIONS ON THE DEMOCRACY ISSUE. IN A LATER RADIO INTERVIEW, MARTIN LEE AGAIN EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN ABOUT WHAT HE CALLED THE LACK OF A FIRM TIMETABLE FOR DISCUSSIONS. HE WAS ALSO REPORTED AS HAVING RAISED THE ISSUE OF

EXCO APPOINTMENTS AND THE CONVENTIONS OF COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY. HE WAS SAID TO HAVE REPEATED THE UDHK'S POSITION THAT THEIR LEADERS CANNOT ACCEPT EXCO APPOINTMENTS ON THESE TERMS.

4, MARTIN LEE'S MEETING WITH THE LEADER OF THE LABOUR PARTY ON 1 NOVEMBER WAS ALSO WELL COVERED. THE REPORTS PLAYED UP MR.KINNOCK'S UNDERTAKING THAT A LABOUR GOVERNMENT WOULD APPOINT A

MINISTER FROM THE COMMONS TO DEAL WITH HONG KONG AFFAIRS. MR.KINNOCK WAS ALSO SAID TO HAVE GIVEN THE UDHK LEADERS AN UNDERTAKING TO PRESS HARD FOR A FASTER PACE DEMOCRACY. BOTH

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