UNCLASSIFIED
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 080845Z HONG KONG
TELNO 131
OF 080821Z OCTOBER 92
AND TO DESKBY 080845Z FCO
UNCLASSIFIED
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INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG
Besentaki
116504
MDHIAN 244447
GOVERNOR'S SPEECH: MFA PRESS CONFERENCE, 8 OCTOBER
1. THERE WAS NO STATEMENT ON THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH BUT THERE WERE THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
2"
HONG KONG RADIO ASKED FOR COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE POLITICAL SYSTEM CONTAINED IN THE SPEECH, AND ASKED WHETHER THE OUTLINE OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1995 LEGCO ELECTIONS WOULD AFFECT THE ON-GOING TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES ON CONVERGENCE. SPOKESMAN REPLIED THAT THE GOVERNOR'S FIRST POLICY ADDRESS CONTAINED SOME MAJOR PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CURRENT POLITICAL SYSTEM. THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE SPIRIT AND CONTENT OF THE JD.
THERE SHOULD BE CONSULTATION AND COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES AND JOINT DISCUSSION OF MEASURES TO BE TAKEN TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION. THE PROPOSALS IN THE SPEECH COULD CONSTITUTE OBSTACLES TO SMOOTH TRANSITION AND EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT. THE CHINESE SIDE WAS DISTURBED BY THIS. CHINA MAINTAINED THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO MAJOR CHANGE TO THE CURRENT POLITICAL SYSTEM AND THAT EVOLUTION OF THE POLITICAL SYSTEM SHOULD CONVERGE WITH THE BASIC LAW. THIS WAS A PREREQUISITE FOR HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY AND SMOOTH TRANSITION. THE CHINESE SIDE POINTED OUT THAT IF THE EVOLUTION OF THE POLITICAL SYSTEM DID NOT CONVERGE WITH THE BASIC LAW THEN THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE.
3=
A HONG KONG JOURNALIST ASKED WHETHER CHINESE DISSATISIFACTION WITH THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH WOULD AFFECT COOPERATION AND CONSULTATION ON THE AIRPORT. THE SPOKESMAN REFERRED TO HIS PREVIOUS ANSWER AND ADDED THAT NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT THE AIRPORT WERE CONTINUING AND THAT AS LONG AS THE TWO SIDES STRICTLY OBSERVED THE JD AND THE MOU EXISTING PROBLEMS WOULD BE RESOLVED.
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THE SCMP ASKED WHETHER CHINA'S CONCERNS OVER THE PROPOSALS IN THE SPEECH WOULD BE DISCUSSED DURING THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT OR IN THE JLG. SPOKESMAN REPLIED THAT A CHANNEL HAD ALREADY BEEN OPENED BETWEEN CHINA AND HONG KONG THROUGH WHICH BOTH SIDES COULD EXCHANGE
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