TNAG-2275-FCO40-3274-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-1991 — Page 140

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MDLIAN 8998

INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP

SUMMARY

1. QUITE A NUMBER OF NEWS ITEMS RELATED TO HK'S FUTURE, THE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT PROJECT AND THE NATIONALITY ISSUE WERE REPORTED IN WIDE COVERAGE.

FUTURE

GENERAL REMARKS

2. CHINA'S PRESIDENT, YANG SHANGKUN, SAID IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE BAUHINIA MAGAZINE THAT THE SMOOTH RETURN OF HK TO CHINA AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE TERRITORY'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY DEPENDED ON THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF ALL PARTIES CONCERNED AND ULTIMATELY THE EFFORTS OF THE SIX MILLION HK PEOPLE, AND THAT THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY'S POLICY OF ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS' AND THE BL WOULD NOT CHANGE.

3. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (6.1) QUOTED SENIOR LEGCO MEMBER ALLEN LEE AS SAYING THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHINA AND THE SAR WOULD BE LIKE THAT BETWEEN A HEAD OFFICE AND A BRANCH OFFICE AND THAT THE FUTURE CHIEF EXECUTIVE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CHANGE HIS JOB, BUT COULD RESIGN IN PROTEST.

COURT OF FINAL APPEAL

4. TVB AND MANY PAPERS REPORTED THAT THE FAILURE AT THE LAST ROUND OF JLG TALKS TO AGREE ON CONCRETE ARRANGEMENTS ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COURT OF FINAL APPEAL IN HK BEFORE 1997 WAS BECAUSE OF THE QUESTION OF APPOINTMENT AND DISMISSAL OF JUDGES IN THE FINAL COURT.

SELECT COMMITTEES

5. THE HK ECONOMIC TIMES REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD SOME WORRIES OVER A PROPOSAL DISCLOSED EARLIER BY THE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, DONALD TSANG, TO REPLACE LEGCO AD HOC GROUPS WITH SELECT COMMITTEES AS IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THIS MIGHT INCREASE THE

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