TNAG-2708-FCO40-3914-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-and-Par-1993 — Page 55

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AND WOULD EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC. IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THE CHINESE SIDE HOPED THE HKG WOULD DO M ORE TO DEMONSTRATE SINCERITY FOR THE RESUMPTION OF TALKS. THESE INCLUDED THE TALKS SHOULD BE HELD ON THE BASIS OF UNDERSTANDINGS REACHED BETWEEN THE BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY AND THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER: THE PACKAGE SHOULD NOT BE ANNOUNCED BEFORE THE TWO SIDES REACHED AGREEMENT: NO THIRD PARTY SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE TALKS AND THE AGREEMENT REACHED SHOULD NOT BE OVERTURNED BY LEGCO. THE BRITISH SOURCE INDICATED THE BRITISH SIDE INSISTED FOR TALKS WITH NO PRE- CONDITIONS AND CONSIDERED THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE GAZETTING OF THE BILL HAD INDICATED SUFFICIENT SINCERITY.

6.

A COMMENTARY IN THE MARCH ISSUE (1.3) OF THE PRO-CHINA MAGAZINE BAUHINIA RESTATED IN FAMILIAR TERMS THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD DAMAGED THE MECHANISM FOR CONSULTATION AND CONTRAVENED THE PRINCIPLES OF CONVERGENCE AND THE GOVERNOR SHOULD WITHDRAW HIS PROPOSALS. THE COMMENTARY SAID THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES IF THEY INSISTED ON PLAYING THE 'THREE LEGGED STOOL' TRICK. IT NOTED THE PRINCIPLE OF 'HONG KONG PEOPLE RUNNING HONG KONG' COULD ONLY BE REALISED AFTER 1997 ON THE BASIS OF THE BL. IT CRITICISED MARTIN LEE AND THE VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BRITISH HONG KONG PARLIAMENTARY GROUP JOHN MAREK FOR TALKING ABOUT HONG KONG PEOPLE RUNNING HONG KONG'. A TUNG KUNG PAO ARTICLE REFERRED TO THE REMARKS IN THE SUNDAY MORNING POST MADE BY THE FOREIGN SECRETARY THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD STAND BY LEGCO'S DECISION ON THE POLITICAL REFORMS AND ALLEGED THIS WAS IN CONTRAVENTION TO THE PROVISIONS IN THE JD THAT TRANSITIONAL MATTERS SHOULD BE DEALT WITH BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA. THE ARTICLE CLAIMED IF LEGCO HAD THE ULTIMATE DECIDING POWER, THEN IT WOULD BE ABOVE THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS. HONG KONG WOULD BECOME AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY WITH LEGCO HAVING THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY. THIS WOULD BE A ONE LEGGED STOOL' THEORY WHICH WOULD BE MORE RIDICULOUS THAN THE 'THREE LEGGED STOOL' THEORY.

7. THE MEDIA NOTED PROMINENTLY (2.3) THE MEETINGS BETWEEN LI PENG, LU PING AND CRC MEMBERS IN PEKING. LI PENG SAID AT THE MEETING THAT THERE COULD BE TALKS BUT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD TO RETURN TO THE BASIS OF THE JD, BL AND PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS/UNDERSTANDINGS.IT WAS NOTED MR LI DID NOT REITERATE THE DEMAND FOR THE GOVERNOR TO FIRST WITHDRAW HIS PROPOSALS. LU PING TOLD REPORTERS IF THE TWO SIDES ENTERED INTO NEGOTIATIONS AND REACHED AGREEMENT, THEN THIS WAS DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS. DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS SHOULD BE

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