TNAG-2711-FCO40-3917-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-and-Par-1993 — Page 73

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Despite the limited progress made so far, it is our strong hope that the talks will continue so that the two sides can resolve the outstanding differences between us on the major issues. Beginning the legislation on the simple issues gives us a little more time to do that. The Prime Minister has proposed an intensive effort to resolve the remaining issues and I hope the Chinese side will join us in that. We are seeking to proceed in a measured and orderly way, and we remain keen to continue talking with the Chinese side in a constructive and workmanlike spirit. At the end of the last round, the British negotiator proposed an 18th round of talks to take place this month. We have subsequently proposed dates and await a Chinese reply to this proposal.

No one seriously doubts that we are working against the clock. These are very complicated elections. It is an open secret that we would have liked to have legislated last summer. We have deliberately refrained from announcing deadlines. But everyone, including the Chinese side, knows that there are real time constraints and we made clear to them that we had to start the legislative process this December.

The pressure of time is on legislating both for the LegCo as well as the District Organisation elections. That is why we have consistently explained to the Chinese side that it would not help us to separate the arrangements for the District Organisations elections from those for LegCo. The Foreign Secretary explained that in terms to Vice Premier Qian on 1st October. We have accepted, not without reservations and not without criticism, the case for separate bills on simple and on more contentious issues precisely in order to try to buy a little more time to deal with the latter.

I want to emphasise that on all matters concerning Hong Kong's transition, we would naturally prefer to be able to proceed on the basis of agreement with China. That would be in all our best interests China's, Britain's and Hong Kong's.