TNAG-2706-FCO40-3912-Hong-Kong-political-parties-Democratic-Alliance-for-the-Bett-1993 — Page 29

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OF 081057Z JANUARY 93

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

MEETING WITH THE DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF HONG KONG (DAB), 7 JANUARY

1. THE DAB CALLED ON ME ON 7 JANUARY AS PART OF THE FURTHER ROUND OF CONSULTATIONS I AM HOLDING WITH POLITICAL PARTIES.

2. THEIR LEADER, TSANG YUK SING, SAID THAT THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL LESSON, THAT IS, DOING DEALS IN SECRET TAUGHT HONG KONG THAT THAT WAY OF DOING BUSINESS WOULD NOT WORK. EQUALLY, THE PAST FEW MONTHS SHOWED THAT THE WAY MY POLITICAL PACKAGE HAD BEEN HANDLED DID NOT WORK EITHER. DAB HOPED TO WORK OUT A WAY WHICH WOULD ALLOW ADEQUATE CONSULTATION WITH THE CHINESE AND AT THE SAME TIME AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE OPINIONS OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.

3. TSANG SAID THAT DAB'S WORRY WAS THAT IF A LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE, WHETHER AN AMENDED VERSION OF MINE OR AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT ONE, WAS ADOPTED BY LEGCO WITHOUT PRIOR CONSULTATION WITH CHINA, THE CHINESE WOULD FIND IT DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT EVEN IF ITS CONTENT WAS ENTIRELY COMPATIBLE WITH THE BASIC LAW. CONSULTATION WAS REQUIRED UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION AND SHOULD TAKE PLACE IN THE JLG. HE ASKED WHETHER I WOULD BE WILLING TO NEGOTIATE WITH CHINA ON THE BASIS OF ALL COUNTER PROPOSALS THAT HAD BEEN PUT FORWARD TOGETHER WITH MY OWN PROPOSALS, INSTEAD OF INSISTING ON BASING TALKS ON MY PROPOSALS ALONE.

4. I SAID THAT I HAD NO DIFFICULTY WITH THAT AT ALL. I HAD CONSISTENTLY MADE CLEAR THAT I WAS PREPARED FOR DISCUSSIONS WITHOUT PRE-CONDITIONS. THIS INCLUDED NO PRE-CONDITION OF

ABANDONMENT OF MY PROPOSALS.

5. TSANG SAID THAT THERE WAS STILL PLENTY OF TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS. BY THIS HE APPEARED TO IMPLY THAT THERE WAS NO NEED TO PUT FORWARD MY PROPOSALS ON SCHEDULE. I SAID THAT SOME OF THE PREPARATIONS WERE URGENT. IT WAS ALSO IN THE INTEREST OF STABILITY TO BITE THE BULLET AS FAR AHEAD OF 1997 AS POSSIBLE.

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