TNAG-2452-FCO40-3569-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1992 — Page 50

UNCLASSIFIED

pa. Constit Dept

Put CobelAB

Copy pack

Hüß ad OP COPY

Q DIST?

003063

MOLIAN 3176

777

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2933

OF 2110O4Z DECEMBER 92

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM: PRESS REPORTS

1. WEN WEI PO QUOTED A SENIOR OFFICIAL OF HKMAO AS SAYING THAT THE BRITISH NON-RECOGNITION OF THE PAST ACCORDS WITH CHINA WAS A 'TRAP, A DIPLOMATIC FRAUD' THE OFFICIAL SAID THIS WAS THE CRUX OF THE PRESENT IMPASSE, WHICH INVOLVED A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE AND WAS NOT CONNECTED WITH DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG (ON THE LATTER, THE BL ALREADY SHOWED THAT CHINA SUPPORTED DEMOCRACTISATION IN HONG KONG). THE OFFICIAL WARNED THAT UNLESS THE BRITISH SIDE FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED THEIR ATTITUDE, THERE WOULD BE NO TRUST OF THE CHINESE SIDE AND NO CO-OPERATION.

2.

MANY PAPERS REPORTED DAB'S VISIT TO PEKING (BETWEEN 21.12 AND 24.12) TO DISCUSS POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG WITH HKMAO DIRECTOR LU PING. DAB'S VICE-CHAIRMAN AND LEGCO MEMBER, TAM YIU- CHUNG, WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THEY WOULD REFLECT TO LU PING THAT RESUMED TALKS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN COULD ALLAY WORRIES OF HONG KONG PEOPLE AND THAT THEY WOULD ASK WHETHER THERE WERE OTHER WAYS OF BREAKING THE PRESENT IMPASSE APART FROM ASKING ME TO WITHDRAW THE POLITICAL REFORM PACKAGE.

3. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL REPORTED THAT IT UNDERSTOOD THAT THE DAB'S VISIT HAD TWO PURPOSES FIRST TO TEST WHETHER THERE WAS ANY SOFTENING IN THE STANCE OF THE. CHINESE SIDE AND SECOND TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHINESE INTENTION OF SETTING UP 'SEPARATE STOVE'. IT REPORTED THAT IF THE CHINESE SIDE DID NOT OBJECT, DAB WOULD CONSIDER MAKING COUNTER-PROPOSALS TO MY REFORM PACKAGE, E.G. IN RESPECT OF THE ELECTION COMMITTEE THEY WOULD PROPOSE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES, TO BE RETURNED BY ELECTIONS, OF THE 4 SECTORS WHICH MADE UP THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. THEY WOULD ALSO PROPOSE THAT IF A 'SEPARATE STOVE' WAS NECESSARY THE PREPARATORY BODY SHOULD PREFERABLY COMPRISE CHINESE OFFICIALS ONLY SO AS TO AVOID THE CREATION OF A SECOND POWER CENTRE WHICH WOULD UNDERMINE THE RULING AUTHORITIES OF HKG.

PAGE 1 UNCLASSIFIED