TNAG-2494-FCO40-3626-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1992 — Page 224

UNCLASSIFIED

073512

MDLIAN 6936

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 2745

OF 210541Z NOVEMBER 92

INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

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

PART TWO OF TWO

21. REPORTS NOTED (18.11) THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE ISSUED A STATEMENT REITERATING BRITISH SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNOR'S CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES. IT SAID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION IN HK WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE JD AND THE BRITISH POLICY ON HK REMAINED UNCHANGED. THE FCO ISSUED A SIMILAR STATEMENT AND DESCRIBED THE MEETING BETWEEN MR HURD AND MR ZHU AS CONDUCTED IN A FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BRITISH HK PARLIAMENTARY GROUP, TIMOTHY RENTON, SAID THE GOVERNOR'S REFORMS HAD GAINED THE SUPPORT OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AND HOUSE OF LORDS, AND THE THREE MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES. HE SAID NOW WAS THE TIME FOR THE CHINESE SIDE TO PUT FORWARD THEIR IDEAS TO ENSURE A CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE.

22.

THE GOVERNOR WAS QUOTED (18.11) AS SAYING THE JD REPRESENTED COMMON GROUND FOR BOTH SIDES AND HE WAS FULLY COMMITTED TO ITS IMPLEMENTATION. THE GOVERNOR ALSO SAID THE DROP OF THE HK STOCK MARKET BY SOME 200 POINTS SHOULD BE SEEN AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF A SPECTACULAR RISE IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS WHICH INDICATED THE UNDERLYING STRENGTH OF THE HK ECONOMY AND THE UNDERLYING CONFIDENCE BETWEEN THE HK AND THE CHINESE ECONOMY. SAID PEOPLE IN HK WANTED A COOL, CALM AND RATIONAL DEBATE. THE AIRPORT THE GOVERNOR WAS QUOTED AS SAYING HKG WOULD DO EVERYTHING IT COULD TO IMPLEMENT THE MOU. HE NOTED CHINA HAD CONSISTENTLY SAID THERE WOULD BE NO LINKAGE BETWEEN THE AIRPORT AND POLITICAL MATTERS.

ON

HE

23. REPORTS NOTED (18.11) THE US STATE DEPARTMENT'S SPOKESMAN RICHARD BOUCHER SAID IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT THE US STRONGLY SUPPORTED DEMOCRACY IN HK. IT STATED THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS REPRESENTED A CONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH TO THE GOAL OF DEMOCRACY IN HK AND CALLED ON ALL CONCERNED PARTIES TO CAREFULLY EXAMINE THE

PROPOSALS.

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