TNAG-2504-FCO40-3643-National-People-s-Congress-and-Chinese-People-s-Political-Co-1992 — Page 6

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 957

OF 010857Z APRIL 92

UNCLASSIFIED

R&R. 15/4. (NPC) NBizfiw thr Bunte

AKC

024/1

HB,

Did you spot para

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044706

/MDLIAN 6002

7

the

Dr Harken or Miss Landes like to keep an eye on the NPC question. No comment from Peking on the Bradley?

reply to my letter on

on the subject? INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING KREP JLG HONG KONG INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, BIS NEW YORK INFO HKGO SAN FRANCISCO, UKMIS GENEVA, HKGO GENEVA

an

lolis

HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUND-UP

SUMMARY

1. JLG ISSUES AND ZHOU NAN'S REMARKS ON VARIOUS HK ISSUES WERE FEATURED.

JLG

2. THE CONCLUSION OF JLG XXII RECEIVED EXTENSIVE COVERAGE INCLUDING IN PRO-CHINA PAPERS. MANY REPORTS NOTED THAT NO PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE OVER THE USE OF MILITARY LANDS AND THE CORPORATISATION OF RTHK. THE JOINT COMMUNIQUE WAS WIDELY REPORTED. THE BRITISH TEAM LEADER, ANTHONY GALSWORTHY SAID THERE WERE NO CONCRETE PRIVATISATION PLANS EXCEPT PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATION OF THE PRIVATISATION OF KCRC. IF HKG DECIDED TO PRECEDE WITH THE PLAN, THE CHINESE WOULD BE CONSULTED. ON MILITARY LAND, MR GALSWORTHY SAID THAT THEY WERE LOOKING TO WAYS TO FREE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OF THE URBAN SITES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN HK. THE CHINESE TEAM LEADER, GUO FENGMIN, SAID RTHK'S CORPORATISATION WOULD CONTINUE TO BE DISCUSSED BY THE TWO TEAMS AT JLG MEETINGS. MR GUO SAID THAT THE INTENTION OF THE CHINESE WAS TO ENSURE THAT HK HAD A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND TO STABILISE THE CIVIL SERVICE STRUCTURE. HE SAID THERE WAS NO PLAN TO BRING THE MATTER TO A HIGHER LEVEL. ON MILITARY LANDS, HE SAID THE TWO SIDES WERE MOVING NEARER BUT DIFFERENCES REMAINED AND THAT THE GAP WAS NOT NARROW.

ZHOU NAN

3. ZHOU NAN WAS QUOTED AS TELLING GUANGDONG NPC DELEGATES (25.3) THAT THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES SHOULD INCREASE CONSULTATION AND CO-OPERATION DURING THE TRANSITION TO ENSURE THAT HK'S SYSTEMS WOULD FALL IN LINE WITH THE BL. IT WAS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN HK'S EXECUTIVE-LED POLITICAL STRUCTURE AND THE 1995 POLLS SHOULD COMPLY WITH THE BL. ISSUES STRADDLING 1997 AND INVOLVING THE HKSAR GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED THROUGH THE

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