TNAG-2708-FCO40-3914-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-and-Par-1993 — Page 53

UNCLASSIFIED

TO PRIORITY FCO

FM HONG KONG

TELNO 364

OF 05110OZ MARCH 93

HKB

UNCLASSIFIED

011/6

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

1. MAR 1993

27

Reass

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

REGISTRY Action Taken

ja.

037337

MDLIAN 8509

Para 21. Rels w. Parl Para 24: Pol. parti

Ciberal. Thew file

INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA

PART ONE OF TWO PARTS:

HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE: 26.2 5.3.

SUMMARY

1

.

SPECULATION ON THE POSSIBLE RESUMPTION OF TALKS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA ON HONG KONG'S CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS CONTINUED TO FEATURE.

RESUMPTION OF SINO-BRITISH TALKS

2.

REPORTS NOTED WIDELY (26.2) A GOVERNMENT STATEMENT SAYING THE BILL ON 1994/95 ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS WOULD NOT BE GAZETTED THAT DAY AND THE GOVERNOR AND SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS HAD MADE IT CLEAR THAT POSTPONEMENT OF THE BILL BEYOND THE END OF FEBRUARY WOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED IF THERE WERE SUFFICIENT REASONS WHICH WOULD BE UNDERSTOOD BY THE LEGISLATURE AND THE COMMUNITY. THE HKG WOULD IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS ISSUE A STATEMENT EXPLAINING ITS STANCE. MING PAO UNDERSTOOD THE POSTPONEMENT WAS MADE BECAUSE DIPLOMATIC TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES WERE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. ACCORDING TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF MING PAO'S REPORTER ALTHOUGH BOTH SIDES WERE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT REPOPENING TALKS, THERE WERE SOME PRACTICAL MATTERS LEFT UNRESOLVED. THE MAIN CRUX WAS THE CHINESE WERE NOT YET SATISFIED WITH ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE BRITISH SIDE TO DEMONSTRATE SINCERITY FOR TALKS. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS SAID THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN PEKING HAD ON THE PREVIOUS DAY RECEIVED A MORE DEFINITE REPLY FROM THE CHINESE SIDE INDICATING THEY WERE WILLING TO RESUME TALKS WITH THE BRITISH SIDE AND THAT A FORMAL RESPONSE WOULD BE MADE WITHIN THE WEEK.

3.

IT WAS NOTED AT A WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE IN PEKING, A CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LI JIN JIANG SAID CHINA'S STANCE ON THE GOVERNOR'S PLAN REMAINED UNCHANGED. TO RESUME

1

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