TNAG-2706-FCO40-3912-Hong-Kong-political-parties-Democratic-Alliance-for-the-Bett-1993 — Page 21

1993-03-31 17:06 G.I.S

Patten,

P.04/04

p.r. Pour Packa

(DAB)

Following is a reply by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher

to letter by the Chairman, Democratic Alliance for Betterment

f Hong Kong, Mr Tsang Yok-sing.

香港ㄔㄨˋ

督府

HKB

GOVERNMENT HOUSE HONG KONG

011/3

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

06 APR CO

DESK OFFICER INDEX

31 March 1993

PA

REGISTRY Action Taken

Дн 21 isang.

Thank you for your letter of 30 March. I am surprised that anyone in Hong Kong should argue for downgrading the status of Hong Kong officials in talks with China from the level it has been for the past 10 years. Both in the negotiations which led to the Joint Declaration and in frequent negotiations since then Hong Kong officials have participated as members of the British team. You say that the single obstacle to the opening of talks is my insistence that this past practice should not be changed. Have you considered looking at it the other way round and asking whether insistence on changing the past practice is not the only obstacle to talka?

The British Government and I have repeatedly made clear that we remain ready to hold talks with China at any time without preconditions. In February the Chinese side responded positively to our offer. They said that their understanding of the term without preconditions was that talks should be held on the basis of the Joint Declaration, the principle of convergence with the Basic Law and relevant agreements and understandings already reached between Britain and China. We have confirmed that we are happy for the talks to take place on this basis. But subsequently we were faced with the proposal to change the practice of the

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TOTAL P.04