CONFIDENTIAL
120015.
MDHIAN 4718
12. THE BELIEF THAT THE PRC LEADERSHIP IS NOW WILLING TO TAKE A MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS HONG KONG WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE STYLE ADOPTED BY LU PING DURING HIS VISIT TO THE TERRITORY IN JANUARY. THE PUBLIC WAS REASSURED BY HIS GENERALLY MILD STAND AND HIS WILLINGNESS TO HOLD MEETINGS WITH SOME ''DEMOCRATS'' (THOUGH HE CONTINUED TO KEEP THE UDHK AT A DISTANCE). PEKING'S REASSURANCES ABOUT THE LIMITED ROLE OF THE LOCAL ADVISERS TO BE APPOINTED TO ASSIST WITH THE TRANSITION HAVE ALSO HELPED ALLAY THE COMMUNITY'S MISGIVINGS.
13.
NEVERTHELESS, PEKING'S DIFFICULTIES IN COMMUNICATING WITH HONG KONG REMAIN AND CREATE INTERMITTENT WAVES. AN HKMAO DELEGATION LED BY WANG FENGCHAO IN FEBRUARY TRIED TO REASSURE THE CIVIL SERVICE ABOUT ITS PROSPECTS AFTER 1997. HOWEVER, HIS REMARKS WERE AMBIGUOUSLY PHRASED AND WERE INTERPRETED AS INDICATING PEKING'S DETERMINATION TO RESERVE AFTER 1997 NOT JUST SECRETARY, BUT DEPUTY SECRETARY POSTS ALSO, FOR CHINESE NATIONALS WITHOUT A RIGHT OF ABODE OVERSEAS. THE OVERALL RESULT WAS TO LEAVE THE CIVIL SERVICE STILL ANXIOUS ABOUT ITS FUTURE.
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IN ADDITION, THERE REMAIN AREAS OF REAL STRAIN. PEKING'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS LEGCO AND ITS FREQUENT ATTACKS ON LEGCO'S ROLE (PARTICULARLY DURING THE PROTRACTED DEBATE OVER WHICH COMMITTEE SYSTEM TO ADOPT) ILLUSTRATES THE WIDE GAP IN UNDERSTANDING THAT STILL EXISTS. THE MORE CONFRONTATIONAL STYLE OF LOCAL POLITICS, THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL (CFA) AND THE CALLS FOR MORE DIRECTLY-ELECTED LEGCO MEMBERS ARE OTHER PRESSURE POINTS. AND, MORE RECENTLY, CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE EXPRESSED OPPOSITION TO GOVERNMENT PLANS TO CORPORATIZE RTHK IN A WAY THAT REVEALS CLEARLY, AND IN AWAY WHICH HAS ALARMED MANY, PARTICULARLY IN THE MEDIA, THE RADICALLY DIFFERENT VIEW OF THE ROLE OF A PUBLIC BROADCASTER.
LEGCO
15.
LEGCO POLITICS ARE NOW MARKED BY A MUCH GRATER DEGREE OF CONFRONTATION THAN IN THE PAST. OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN QUESTIONED MORE AGGRESSIVELY, PARTICULARLY IN THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WHICH HAS EXHIBITED A STRONG DESIRE TO SCRUTINISE THE DETAILS OF EVEN MINOR ITEMS OF EXPENDITURE. DEBATES IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER HAVE ALSO BEEN HEATED, AND IN-HOUSE'' DISCUSSIONS ON PROCEDURAL QUESTIONS EVEN MORE SO. APPOINTED MEMBERS (INCLUDED SOME EXCO MEMBERS) HAVE FELT PRESSURE TO ADOPT MORE OUTSPOKEN POSITIONS. ALLEN LEE'S CO-OPERATIVE RESOURCES CENTRE HAS EMERGED AS A
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CONFIDENTIAL
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