TNAG-2711-FCO40-3917-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-and-Par-1993 — Page 61

WILL THE WORK OF THE JLG BE AFFECTED?

Regret lack of progress in recent months. There is a lot of business piling up. Joint Declaration commits both

Governments to closer co-operation in the JLG in the second

half of the transition period.

Therefore want to see real progress at this week's meeting in London. We are prepared to achieve that. Look for

matching commitment from China.

WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM OVER APPOINTED SEATS?

We and the Chinese side agree that appointed seats should

disappear from the Legislative Council as from the 1995

elections. Only logical that they should also go from the subsidiary bodies.

We thought we had reached an understanding in the talks

allowing us to abolish appointed seats in the 1994-95

elections, and leaving it to the future Special

Administrative Region to decide on its own whether to

reinstate any.

WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS ON OTHER ISSUES?

supps.3.12.PR.JRB

Still hope for further talks, so do not want to get into

details.

But the main outstanding issues are: the Functional

Constituencies, where we offered in the talks to scale

down the Governor's original proposals while still retaining a

broad franchise; the Election Committee, where we are

prepared to meet the Chinese concerns about the format

provided that all the members of this Committee are

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