TNAG-2669-FCO40-3866-Hong-Kong-Civil-Service-1993 — Page 128

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150543 MDHIAN 761

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD HOWEVER CONSIDER THOROUGHLY HOW TO COMPENSATE FOR THE UNFAIR TREATMENT OF LOCAL CIVIL SERVANTS IN THE PAST, THE IMPACT OF THE NEW POLICY ON LOCAL CIVIL SERVANTS' PROMOTION PROSPECTS, AND THE REQUIREMENTS (E.G. LANGUAGE ABILITY) OF CIVIL SERVANTS IN THE FUTURE.

5. A NCNA VICE DIRECTOR, ZHANG JUNSHENG, DENIED AGAIN THAT THE

CHINESE SIDE HAD BEEN INFORMED. HE SAID ON 27 JULY, SCS GAVE A BRIEFING TO THE CHIENSE SIDE ON THE WORK OF THE CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH. THE BRIEFING WAS ONE OF THOSE REGULAR BRIEFINGS CONDUCTED BY HKG ON THE WORK OF ITS VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND BRANCHES. THE POSSIBILITY OF CHANGING THE EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS OF OVERSEAS CIVIL SERVANTS WAS MENTIONED AT THE SCS' BRIEFING AT THAT TIME ONE NCNA

OFFICIAL REMINDED THE HKG OFFICIAL THAT THE ISSUE WAS RELATIVELY IMPORTANT AND THE CHINESE SIDE SHOULD BE CONSULTED. BUT THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT TAKE THE ADVICE AND WENT AHEAD TO ANNOUNCE THE NEW POLICY THE NEXT DAY. HE SAID SCS DID NOT HAVE AUTHORITY TO INFORM THE CHIENSE SIDE ON BEHALF OF THE BRITISH-HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. THE FORMAL CHANNEL OF INFORMING THE CHIENSE SIDE WAS FOR PA TO INFORM THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF NCNA. NCNA HAD REQUESTED THE GOVERNMENT TO CLARIFY PUBLICLY ITS STATEMENT THAT THE CHIENSE SIDE HAD BEEN INFORMED, BUT TO DATE THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT DONE SO.

6.

ZHANG SAID MATTERS RELATED TO THE TRANSITION SHOULD BE DISCUSSED IN JLG. HE HOPED THE GOVERNMENT WOULD RAISE THE ISSUE FOR DISCUSSION IN JLG AFTER IT HAD CONSULTED VARIOUS SECTORS. WHEN ASKED WHETHER THIS ISSUE WOULD BE RAISED BY THE CHIENSE SIDE FOR DISCUSSION IN JLG, ZHANG REPLIED THAT IT SHOULD BE RAISED BY THE BRITISH SIDE.

7.

A REPORT IN TODAY'S (12 AUGUST) WEN WEI PO SAID THAT GALSWORTHY HAD HINTED THAT THENEW POLICY WOULD NOT STRADDLE 1997 AND THEREFORE WOULD NOT BE DISCUSSED IN JLG. LONG TERM ARRANGEMENTS STRADDLING 1997 WOULD HOWEVER BE AN AGENDA ITEM OF JLG MEETINGS. THE SAME REPORTED QUOTED OSBORNE AS SAYING THAT THE NEW POLICY WAS AN INTERNAL MATTER FOR HKG, BRITAIN WAS NOT INVOLVED AND THEREFORE THE BRITISH SIDE SHOULD NOT RAISE IT IN JLG.

FORD

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