RESTRICTED
pr. Resentation
TOP COPY Q DIST?
130016 MDLIAN 7630-
76007
تم
L
RESTRICTED
FM ATTC TAIPEI
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 74
OF 121054Z OCTOBER 92
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, JLG HONG KONG, PEKING
GOVERNOR'S SPEECH TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL: TAIWANESE REACTIONS
1. MR PATTEN'S SPEECH TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON 7 OCTOBER AND REACTIONS IN PEKING WERE WIDELY REPORTED IN THE TAIWANESE MEDIA. COVERAGE WAS FACTUAL, BUT HEADLINES PLAYED UP THE HOSTILITY OF THE CHINESE VIEWS.
2. AT ITS MEETING ON 9 OCTOBER, THE MAINLAND AFFAIRS COUNCIL (MAC) OF THE EXECUTIVE, YUAN (CABINET) EXPRESSED ITSELF STRONGLY IN FAVOUR OF THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS FOR DEMOCRATIC REFORM IN HONG KONG. HOWEVER, THE VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE MAC, MA YING-JEOU, WAS REPORTED IN THE PRESS AS BEING CRITICAL OF THE LACK OF ADVANCE CONSULTATION IN PEKING. AT THE SAME TIME, HE WARNED CHINA NOT TO TRY AND IGNORE THE WORLD-WIDE TREND TOWARDS GREATER DEMOCRACY.
3. MA IS REPORTED AS SAYING THAT 'PATTEN'S REFORM PACKAGE FITS THE SPIRIT OF OUR MAINLAND AFFAIRS POLICY, WHICH LOOKS FOR INCREASING DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG'S DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM.' HE WENT ON TO SAY 'BASICALLY WE CONFIRM THE ROUTE FOR HONG KONG MAPPED OUT BY PATTEN IN THE REMAINING YEARS OF BRITISH RULE BUT IT IS TOO EARLY TO MAKE FURTHER COMMENT BECAUSE THE FUTURE OF THESE REFORMS ARE SOMEHOW LINKED WITH BEJING'S ATTITUDE.'
4. MA CONFIRMED THAT THE MAC IS WORKING ON A TAIWAN-HONG KONG RELATIONS ACT WHICH WOULD BE ADAPTED TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF PROGRESS IN TAIWAN'S RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGES IN HONG KONG ITSELF, SO AS 'TO DERIVE A SET OF REGULATIONS WITH MUTUAL BENEFITS.
COMMENT
5. FAVOURABLE COMMENT FROM TAIPEI ON THE PROPOSED REFORMS IN HONG KONG WILL NO DOUBT FURTHER IRRITATE THE CHINESE. AS DEMOCRACY PROGRESSES IN TAIWAN, IT IS INEVITABLE THAT THE TAIWANESE WILL SEE THIS AS AN AREA ON WHICH TO ATTACK THE CHINESE WITH TAIWAN AND HONG KONG BEING HELD UP AS EXAMPLES TO THE MAINLAND, NOT ONLY
PAGE
1
RESTRICTED
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.