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FIKC 012/4
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FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2800
OF 01085OZ NOVEMBER 92
!
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
مير
121066 MDLIAN 8852
Cluuche reactiis
CONTAINER TERMINAL 9 AND CONTRACTS : LU PING'S MEETING WITH HK
TEXTILE COUNCIL PRESS REPORTS
DECEMBER)
CARRIED A DETAILED SUMMARY OF LU
1.
WEN WEI PO TODAY (1
PING'S REMARKS DURING HIS MEETING YESTERDAY WITH A VISITING
DELEGATION OF HONG KONG TEXTILE COUNCIL. THE REMARKS COVERED MAINLY CT 9 AND CONTRACTS STRADDLING 1997, BUT ALSO LINKAGE WITH CO- OPERATION ON POLITICAL ISSUES.
2. LU HIGHLIGHTED CHINA'S LONG-STANDING POLICY FOR MINIMAL CHANGES
IN THE RUN UP TO 1997 AND A SMOOTH TRANSITION, WHICH HINGED ON WHETHER CONVERGENCE COULD BE ACHIEVED. HE STRESSED THE NEED TO ADHERE TO THE BASIC LAW IN DEALING WITH CONVERGENCE. HE SAID THAT A
MINORITY IN HONG KONG WERE SUGGESTING NON-CONVERGENCE: BUT REITERATED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD WORK HARD FOR CONVERGENCE AND SMOOTH TRANSITION. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED, HONG KONG INTERESTS WOULD BE TAKEN INTO FULL ACCOUNT AND THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF CHINA MESSING UP
HONG KONG,
3.
ON CT 9, LU'S COMMENTS WERE AS FOLLOWS:
(I) IT WAS NOT JUST A QUESTION RELATED TO CT 9. IT CONCERNED WHETHER THE WHOLE RANGE OF CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS AND LEASES SIGNED OR RATIFIED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT BEFORE 1997 COULD REMAIN VALID AFTER 1997. THIS WAS A MAJOR ISSUE WHICH MUST BE RESOLVED.
(II) THE CHINESE SIDE PROCEEDED FROM THE CONSIDERATION OF GIVING
ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO INVESTORS AND RAISED THIS QUESTION WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. UNDER THE JD, THE POWER OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO ADMINISTER HONG KONG WOULD TERMINATE ON 30 JUNE 1997 AND THE BRITISH WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE. THEY HAD NO RIGHT TO HANDLE THE AFFAIRS OF THE SARG AFTER 30 JUNE. THIS WAS THEREFORE A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION OF EXPRESSION OF SOVEREIGNTY.
4.
ON CONTRACTS AND LAND LEASES, LU SAID:
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