TNAG-2709-FCO40-3915-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-and-Par-1993 — Page 51

ERVENT HOUSE HONG KUNG.

-FI IN THE -: ME:50

76.04

RESTRICTED

exchanges with

xecent

Let me recap brietly the history of our

the chinese side, so Honourable Members

can be clear 11 CЯeix own minds how matters have

proceeded. As I indicated in my statement

last week,

naving received a positive response on the principle of talks trom the Chinese side, I decided to postpone out original plan for gazettal on 12 February, while making clear to the Chinese side that there could not be an indefinite delay, given the practical need to press ahead with legislation. We proposed an early starting date for

the talks.

She

Despite the absence of a solution to the remaining difficulties, I decided, with the advice of Executive Council, to delay gazettal for a second time on

Last week, 19 February and a third time on 26 February.

I told the Council of our decision to delay gazettal for

a fourth time.

we

I explained to the Council that we wished to go the extra mile and give the Chinese side every opportunity to respond. Today is the fifth Friday since we originally decided to defer gazettal. Unfortunately the outstanding differences have not been resolved and still have no date for talks. I have to tell the Council

that we have not even been able to obtain agreement,

after all this time, that an announcement about talks could be made early next week. I have made clear that we could not go on deferring gazettal indefinitely. Having deferred gazettal on four occasions, therefore decided, with the advice of the Executive Council, to gazette the draft legislation this

afternoon.

Having taken this decision,

I have

we will have

to

Judge, in the light of subsequent developments, when to introduce the draft legislation into the Legislative

Council.

((-))