TNAG-2457-FCO40-3578-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-presentation-1992 — Page 62

UNCLASSIFIED

143456 MDLIAN 8763

DISCUSSED WITH PEKING BEFOREHAND.

THE STATEMENTS SAID THIS WAS IN VIOLATION OF THE JD FOR CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. MR WANG FENG CHAO OF THE HKMAO WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THE CHINESE SIDE HAD, THROUGH VARIOUS CHANNELS, EXPRESSED THEIR VIEWS BUT THESE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT BY THE GOVERNOR. MR WANG WAS ALSO QUOTED (15.10) AS SAYING THAT IF CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS IN HK BEFORE 1997 FAILED TO CONVERGE WITH THE BL, THINGS HAD TO BE STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN AFTER 1997.

8. THE MEDIA ACCORDED EXTENSIVE COVERAGE TO THE GOVERNOR'S SESSIONS WITH LEGISLATORS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. IT WAS NOTED AT THE ''MEET THE PUBLIC'' SESSIONS, THE PUBLIC WERE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT ISSUES ON THEIR LIVELIHOOD.

9. CHEN ZUOER OF THE HKMAO WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT DEMOCRACY SHOULD NOT BE JUST LIKE ''COLOURFUL BUBBLES''. HE SAID DEMOCRACY AS STIPULATED IN BL FOR HK AFTER 1997 FAR EXCEEDED THE EXTENT

REMARKS BY VICE

only KAAPIT THAT OF INCNA HK BRANCH,

allows it before

DIRECTOR OF NCNA HK BRANCH, ZHENG JUNSHENG THAT NEITHER THE AIRPORT NOR DEMOCRACY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS GIFTS TO HK PEOPLE WERE NOTED (14.10). HE SAID THE AIRPORT WOULD BE BUILT USING HK PEOPLE'S MONEY AND DEMOCRACY WAS A MATTER FOR HK PEOPLE. ZHOU NAN SAID IN A RADIO INTERVIEW (14.10) THAT HE WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE ADDRESS AS IT WAS UNACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE. HE STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF CONVERGENCE WITH THE BL TO ENABLE A SMOOTH TRANSITION. HE HOPED THAT THE POLITICIANS OF BRITAIN AND

WOULD RESOLVE QUESTIONS RELATING TO HK OVER THE NEXT 4 YEARS WITH THE INSIGHT AND KNOWLEDGE THAT HAD ENABLED THE SIGNING

OF THE JD.

10. THE GOVERNOR SAID THE POLICY PROPOSALS REFLECTED THE WISHES OF THE HK PEOPLE ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS. HE WOULD DISCUSS THE POLITICAL PACKAGE WITH LU PING AND PUT HIS PROPOSALS TO LEGCO AFTER WHICH LEGCO WOULD VOTE ON THE LEGISLATION (14.10). REPORTS NOTED THE GOVERNOR'S MEETINGS WITH POLITICAL GROUPS (13-14.10). THE CRC LEADER, ALAN LEE, SUPPORTED THE GOVERNOR'S EFFORTS TO PERSUADE CHINA TO ACCEPT THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS BUT SAID THE QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED. MARTIN LEE OF UDHK SAID HKG SHOULD STILL PROCEED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WISHES OF THE HK PEOPLE EVEN IF CHINA REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS. THE UDHK WOULD PROPOSE A MOTION DEBATE IN LEGCO ON HOLDING A REFERENDUM TO GAUGE PUBLIC VIEWS. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH TA KUNG PAO, THE GOVERNOR REJECTED (13.10) THAT THE DISCLOSURE OF CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS IN THE POLICY ADDRESS WOULD UNDERMINE SINO-HK RELATIONS OR AFFECT CONVERGENCE WITH THE BL. THE GOVERNOR ALSO SAID DECISION MAKING POWERS WOULD NOT BE TRANSFERRED TO LEGCO COMMITTEES AND WOULD REMAIN WITH EXCO.