TNAG-2493-FCO40-3625-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1992 — Page 151

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FM HONG KONG

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INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, BIS NEW YORK INFO HKGO SAN FRANCISCO, UKMIS GENEVA, HKGO GENEVA

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ORIGINATORS CORRECTION TO PARA 24 OF HONG KONG TELNO 2615.

24. REMARKS BY NCNA HK BRANCH'S SPOKESMAN ZHANG JUNSHENG WERE WIDELY NOTED (2.11). MR ZHANG WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD, BEFORE THE GOVERNOR'S TRIP TO PEKING, TWICE PROPOSED TO THE BRITISH SIDE THAT THE 1995 ELECTIONS SHOULD BE DISCUSSED BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES IN THE JLG. HOWEVER, THEIR REQUEST HAD BEEN IGNORED. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD ALSO REQUESTED THE GOVERNOR NOT TO RELEASE HIS POLITICAL BLUEPRINT UNTIL CONSULTATIONS WERE HELD WITH THE CHINESE SIDE. MR ZHANG SAID ''THE KNOT SHOULD BE UNTIED BY THE PERSON WHO TIED IT''. THE CNA IN A SIGNED COMMENTARY SAID THE CONTENTS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCES DISCLOSED SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A CO-OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES IN THE PAST. THERE WAS A NEED FOR BRITAIN AND CHINA TO RESTORE THE OLD RELATIONSHIP AND RETURN TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. THE PRO-PEKING OUTLOOK WEEKLY COMMENTED THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD ADOPTED AN ATTITUDE OF CONFRONTATION RATHER THAN CO-OPERATION DURING HIS TRIP TO PEKING. IF THE GOVERNOR INSISTED ON CONFRONTATION, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD COMPLY TO THE END. SOME PAPERS REPORTED THAT THE OVERSEAS EDITION OF THE PEOPLE'S DAILY CONTINUED TO CARRY CRITICISMS AGAINST THE GOVERNOR. THE PAPER WARNED OF A DISASTER FOR HK IF THE GOVERNOR INSISTED ON HIS POLITICAL REFORMS. TIN TIN DAILY NOTED THE NOVEMBER ISSUE OF CHENG MING REPORTED THAT DENG XIAOPING HAD GIVEN OUT INSTRUCTIONS TO SENIOR OFFICIALS SAYING THAT IF BRITAIN AND HK HAD GONE BEYOND THEIR BOUNDARY BY ONE STEP, THEN CHINA SHOULD ALERT THEM. IF THEY HAD GONE BEYOND BY TWO STEPS, A WARNING SHOULD BE ISSUED. IF THEY HAD GONE BEYOND BY THREE STEPS AND SET UP ANOTHER ''STOVE'' CHINA COULD ''INVITE THEM TO GO HOME''. NCNA QUOTED A WARNING FROM A FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE HKMAO STATE COUNCIL, JI PENGFEI, WHO SAID ANY ATTEMPT TO DISTORT THE BL WAS A WASTE OF TIME. HE URGED BRITAIN TO RETURN TO CO-OPERATION

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