TNAG-2457-FCO40-3578-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-presentation-1992 — Page 65

UNCLASSIFIED

143456 MDLIAN 63 $

CHINA.

17. A SUNDAY POST POLL (11.10) SHOWED 56 PERCENT WANTED THE GOVERNOR TO PUSH THROUGH HIS REFORMS EVEN IF IT MEANT THAT THROUGH TRAIN WAS NOT POSSIBLE. FINDINGS OF A SURVEY CONDUCTED FOR THE RTHK'S ''CITY FORUM'' SHOWED THAT 62.9 PERCENT OF THE 831 INTERVIEWEES ACCEPTED THE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS AND SAID THAT IT WAS AT THE RIGHT PACE. THE AVERAGE MARK THE ADDRESS SCORED WAS 64.5 OUT OF 100.

18. A HK STANDARD SURVEY FOUND (15.10) 81 PERCENT OF THE 663 RESPONDENTS WERE CONFIDENT THE GOVERNOR COULD ACHIEVE HIS GOALS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. 40 PERCENT SAID THE PACE OF DEMOCRACY WAS ABOUT RIGHT. THE POLL ALSO INDICATED 74 PERCENT DISAGREED HE SHOULD HAVE CONSULTED CHINA ABOUT HIS PLANS.

AIRPORT

19. THE GOVERNOR SAID (14.10) THE BEST WAY FORWARD WOULD BE FOR HK AND CHINA TO REACH AN AGREEMENT ON THE AIRPORT. THE CORE PROJECTS WOULD BE COMPLETED AND THIS WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HK AND THE REGION. HOWEVER, IF AN AGREEMENT COULD NOT BE REACHED, THEN HK WOULD NEED TO DO ITS BEST WITH WHAT IT COULD: THIS OF COURSE WOULD NOT BE THE BEST OPTION AND HE HOPED TO REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE.

THE MEDIA NOTED (16.10) PROMINENTLY THAT THE AC MEETING ENDED IN DEADLOCK. THE CHINESE TEAM LEADER GUO FENGMIN SAID THEY HAD REJECTED THE BRITISH PROPOSAL BECAUSE OF THE SAR LAND FUND COULD NOT BE USED AND THAT THE LAND SALE ALONG THE AIRPORT RAILWAY SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE ANNUAL QUOTA. THE CHINESE HAD NOT MADE ANY COUNTER PROPOSAL.

U S/HK POLICY ACT

21. REPORTS NOTED (12.10) THAT THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY HAD OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED ITS PROTEST WITH THE US GOVERNMENT ON THE U S/HK POLICY ACT SIGNED BY PRESIDENT BUSH LAST WEEK. VICE FOREIGN MINISTER LIU HUAQIU, SAID THIS WAS AN INTERFERENCE IN CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

PATTEN

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

50

HKD

FED

LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BROOKS

ADDITIONAL

3

CAOFF//CHARLTON

CAOFF//CORNER

HK GOV OFFICE

NNNN

DISTRIBUTION

53

PAGE

NEWS D PUSD

RAD

MR HUM

6

UNCLASSIFIED