TNAG-2494-FCO40-3626-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1992 — Page 222

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MDLIAN 6935

MISINTERPRETATION AND HAD GIVEN THE FULL TEXT OF MR ZHU'S REMARKS TO PRO-PEKING PAPERS. XINHUA ALSO ISSUED THE FULL TEXT OF MR ZHU'S REPLY. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL NOTED (19.11) A SPOKESMAN AT THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN LONDON HAD REFUTED PRESS REPORTS WHICH QUOTED MR ZHU AS HINTING CHINA MIGHT GIVE UP THE JD. THE SPOKESMAN SAID CHINA'S STAND ON HK HAD NOT CHANGED AND THE JD WOULD BE ADHERED TO. THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN WU JIANMIN MADE SIMILAR CLARIFICATIONS ON MR ZHU'S REMARKS (20.11).

18. A WEN WEI PO EDITORIAL (18.11) CALLED FOR UNITY AMONG HK PEOPLE IN ENSURING A SMOOTH TRANSFER, IN THE FACE OF THE GOVERNOR'S ATTEMPT TO CREATE AN INDEPENDENT/SEMI-INDEPENDENT GOVERNMENT. IT WARNED THE POLITICAL PROPOSALS WOULD JEOPARDISE HK PEOPLE'S INTERESTS AND MAKE IT HARD TO MAINTAIN POLITICAL STABILITY, A LOW TAX SYSTEM AND THE POLICY OF MEASURING EXPENDITURE AGAINST REVENUE.

19. REPORTS NOTED (17.11) THAT THE HK GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DECIDED AFTER A MEETING THAT IT WOULD NOT TAKE A PUBLIC STAND ON THE GOVERNOR'S POLITICAL PROPOSALS, BECAUSE OF DIVIDED VIEWS AMONG MEMBERS. CHAIRMAN PAUL CHENG SAID THE CHAMBER WAS NOT IN A POSITION TO TAKE A STANCE AS THEIR INTEREST WAS TO PROMOTE TRADE AND INDUSTRY. THE CHINESE GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN A STATEMENT STATED IT DID NOT SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS AND THAT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN HK SHOULD CONVERGE WITH THE BL TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION.

20. DURING A MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM A CIVIL SERVICE ASSOCIATION, LU PING WAS QUOTED (17.11) AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE WISHED TO ACHIEVE FULL CONVERGENCE COVERING LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIAL ORGANISATIONS IN HK DURING THE HANDOVER. IN AN ARTICLE IN THE NOVEMBER ISSUE OF THE LEFT-WING 'WIDE ANGEL' MAGAZINE, IT SAID THERE WAS A MAJOR CHANGE IN BRITISH POLICY TOWARDS HK BEHIND THE GOVERNOR'S TOUGH STANCE. IT SAID DENG XIAOPING HAD TOLD POLICY MAKERS IN CHINA THAT DURING THE LATTER HALF OF THE TRANSITION, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WAS TO MAINTAIN STABILITY AND PREVENT POLITICAL UNREST AND ECONOMIC UPHEAVALS. FACED WITH THE GOVERNOR'S CHALLENGE, PEKING'S DECISION WAS TO FIGHT IT ALL THE WAY TO THE END. HOWEVER, THE CHINESE SIDE WERE STILL READY TO HOLD TALKS WITH THE BRITISH SIDE PROVIDED THREE CONDITIONS WERE SATISFIED: ADHERENCE TO THE JD, ADHERENCE TO SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENTS AND UNDERSTANDING, AND CONVERGENCE WITH THE BL.

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