UNCLASSIFIED
FM PEKING
TO ROUTINE F CO
TELNO 787
OF 05082OZ JUNE 92
UNCLASSIFIED
HKC 012/1
TOP COPY Q DIST?
CM
سمير
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
33
073031
MDLIAN 0847
30
HONG KONG TELNO 1532: DEMOCRACY AND THE BASIC LAW: PRESS REACTION TO MR GOODLAD'S COMMENTS
1. UNDER THE HEADLINE 'UK IDEA CRITICISED IN HONG KONG' CHINA DAILY (5 JUNE) CARRIED A REPORT SUMMARISING RECENT ARTICLES IN THE HONG KONG PRESS COMMENTING ON MR GOODLAD'S REMARKS.
2 =
AFTER DESCRIBING MR GOODLAD'S REMARKS, THE CHINA DAILY SAID THAT AMENDING THE BASIC LAW SHOULD BE CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS CORRESPONDING PROVISIONS AND THAT A MOTION TO AMEND THE BASIC LAW MUST PASS THROUGH THREE VOTING CHAMBERS, EACH REQUIRING A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY.
3=
MING PAO IS REPORTED AS SAYING THE ISSUE FACING BRITAIN, CHINA AND HONG KONG WAS NOT WHETHER IT WAS POSSIBLE TO AMEND THE BASIC LAW BUT WHETHER THE THREE SIDES HAD A COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF ITS REQUIREMENTS. AMENDMENTS TO THE BASIC LAW BEFORE 1997 WERE OUT OF THE QUESTION AND IT WAS INAPPROPRIATE FOR A BRITISH OFFICIAL TO COMMENT ON CHINA'S LAWS. HIS COMMENTS WERE THOUGHT LIKELY TO HAVE PROVOKED A VERY NEGATIVE RESPONSE ON THE CHINESE SIDE. MING PAO ALSO REPORTEDLY CRITICISED THOSE PUSHING FOR FASTER DEMOCRATISATION OF HONG KONG AND WONDERED WHETHER IT WAS WORTHWHILE TO PLUNGE HONG KONG INTO A POLITICAL CRISIS BECAUSE OF TEN DIRECTLY-ELECTED SEATS.
4. TA KONG PAO IS REPORTED AS CALLING THE BASIC LAW THE 'MOST IMPORTANT LEGAL PROTECTION' OF THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE, AND DESCRIBING THE ATTEMPT TO CHANGE IT AS 'TRYING TO SAVE A LITTLE ONLY TO LOSE A LOT'. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS IS QUOTED AS SAYING THE PROPOSAL FOR MORE DIRECTLY-ELECTED SEATS WAS RAISED BY THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES FOR USE AS A BARGAINING CHIP WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, AND THE EXPRESS AS SPECULATING THAT BRITAIN'S REAL PURPOSE WAS TO PRESS CHINA TO CONCEDE ON THE PROSPECTIVE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW AIRPORT. THE CHINA DAILY COMMENTED THAT 'THE TWO SIDES HAVE NOT YET REACHED A CONSENSUS IN NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE NEW AIRPORT'.
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