TNAG-2708-FCO40-3914-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-and-Par-1993 — Page 62

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037334

MDLIAN 8507

PROJECTS AND CLAIMED THIS RAN CONTRARY TO THE MOU.

ROBERT ADLEY

21. WEN WEI PO (27.2) REPORTED IN GOOD COVERAGE ITS INTERVIEW WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BRITISH CHINESE PARLIAMENTARY GROUP, ROBERT ADLEY. MR ADLEY WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT AFTER CAREFUL STUDY, HE FOUND THE GOVERNOR'S PLAN WAS NOT IN LINE WITH SINO- BRITISH AGREEMENTS AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER AND THE BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY. MR ADLEY SAID HE HAD DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE IN DEPTH WITH FORMER GOVERNORS LORD. MACLEHOSE AND LORD WILSON, AND FORMER BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO CHINA SIR ALAN DONALD. MR ADLEY ALSO INDICATED HE HAD PRESENT HIS VIEWS TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY. HE SAID BRITAIN HAD TAKEN UP THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY AND WAS FULLY OCCUPIED WITH PROBLEMS OF ITS OWN IN THE LATTER PART OF LAST YEAR AND HAD NOT TIME TO TAKE CARE OF ITS POLICY TOWARDS HK WHICH WAS DECIDED BY THE GOVERNOR HIMSELF. HE STRESSED THE GOVERNOR BELIEVED WHAT HE DID WAS FOR THE GOOD OF HK BUT HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND CHINA'S SITUATION AND HAD LITTLE EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS. MR ADLEY CONSIDERED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD NOT CHANGED ITS POLICY TOWARDS CHINA. THE CHANGES IN THE HK POLICY WAS BECAUSE OF PERSONAL FACTORS. SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS HAD NOT BEEN DAMAGED AND THE TWO COUNTRIES STILL MAINTAINED GOOD RELATIONS.

MEETING OF NCNA OFFICIALS IN SHENZHEN

22. SING TAO DAILY (27.2) LEARNED THAT NCNA OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR PUBLICITY WORK AS WELL AS THE PRO-CHINA MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES MET IN SHENZHEN ON 24 AND 25 FEBRUARY AND RECEIVED THE LATEST INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ON HK ISSUES INCLUDING RECENT REMARKS MADE BY DENG XIAOPING. THOSE PRESENT INCLUDED NCNA HK VICE DIRECTOR ZHENG JUNSHENG AND THE EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS OF TAI KUNG PAO, WEN WEI PAO AND THE BAUHINIA MAGAZINE. IT WAS UNDERSTOOD ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER TO RESUME TALKS, THE CHINESE VIEWS WERE TO WAIT AND SEE FOR A WHILE. THE OBSTACLE WAS THE CHINESE SIDE REGARDED THE BRITISH HAD NOT RETURNED TO THE PATH OF THE 'THREE COMPLIANCES'. TALKS COULD BE RESUMED IF THE BRITISH WOULD ABANDON THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS.

IMMIGRATION SCHEME FOR REPORTERS

23. REPORTS NOTED (27.2) THE US REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN JOHN PORTER WOULD NEXT WEEK INTRODUCE A BILL SEEKING TO OFFER US RESIDENCY TO ABOUT 300-400 HK REPORTERS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHICH WOULD NOT REQUIRE THEM TO LEAVE HK IMMEDIATELY.

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