UNCLASSIFIED
MAB 017/7
98
077104
MDHIAN 9057
UNCLASSIFIED
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1634
OF 240931Z NOVEMBER 92
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG
CHINESE COMMENTS ON THE GOVERNOR'S CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS.
SUMMARY
1. INTRANSIGENT COMMENTS BY LI PENG AND LU PING. GOVERNOR'S
PROPOSALS OFFER NO BASIS FOR DISCUSSION.
DETAIL
2.
BOTH HOME AND OVERSEAS EDITIONS OF THE PEOPLE'S DAILY ( 24 NOVEMBER) REPORT LI PENG'S UNCOMPROMISING COMMENTS ON THE GOVERNOR'S CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS TO T S LO AND WAI KEE SHUN
UNDER THE HEADLINE CHINA CANNOT GIVE WAY ON MATTERS OF PRINCIPLE' OUR TRANSLATION OF THE ARTICLE IS AS FOLLOWS:
BEGINS PREMIER LI PENG MET HONG KONG SPECIAL ADVISER T S LO AND
CHAIRMAN OF THE NEW HONG KONG ALLIANCE WAI KEE SHUN AND HIS DELEGATION IN ZHONG NAN HAI THIS AFTERNOON 23 NOVEMBER ). THEY
HAD AN OPEN EXCHANGE OF IDEAS ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION IN HONG
KONG AND OTHER MATTERS OF COMMON CONCERN.
COMMENTING ON THE GOVERNOR'S CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS PUT FORWARD NOT LONG AGO IN HIS LEGCO ADDRESS, LI PENG SAID THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS WAS CLEAR, FIRM AND CONSISTENT. HE POINTED OUT THAT THE PROPOSALS WERE CONTRARY TO THE JD, DID NOT CONFORM WITH THE BL AND ABANDONED THE RELEVANT UNDERSTANDINGS REACHED IN THE PAST BY THE TWO SIDES. THIS CONSTITUTED AN OBSTACLE TO HONG KONG'S SMOOTH TRANSITION AND THE
SMOOTH TRANSFER OF POWER.
LI PENG AGAIN REAFFIRMED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE SHOULD PROCEED ACCORDING TO THE JD, BL AND THE SERIES OF UNDERSTANDINGS PREVIOUSLY REACHED BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. MAKING ANY COUNTER-PROPOSALS OR COMPROMISES ON THE BASIS OF THE GOVERNOR'S CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS WAS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. THIS WAS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE.
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