necessary to reach agreement on them very soon. The Prime Minister also noted that if it was possible to reach early agreement on these matters, there would be a little more time to tackle the more difficult issues, and proposed a more intensive final phase of the negotiations.
39.
The British side therefore sought in the round following
this message (Round 16) to reach agreement on the text of a
Memorandum of Understanding. But the Chinese side refused to
agree that a first stage agreement should cover the voting
method for the Legislative Council geographical elections.
They also said they were not willing to agree that the British
side should abolish appointed seats in the District Boards and
Municipal Councils in 1994-95. This was a clear step backward.
On November 5 the British side had reconfirmed clearly to the Chinese side their understanding (which had been spelled out in
the draft Memorandum of Understanding handed to them on 3 November) that the formula proposed by the Chinese side would leave the British side free to abolish appointed membership in
the 1994/95 elections, without prejudice to a later decision by
the Special Administrative Region authorities. The Chinese
side made no attempt either on 3 November or on 5 November or
at any point prior to Round 16 to contest this understanding.
40.
Also in Round 16, in an effort to reach agreement on
objective criteria for the through train, the British side
handed over a draft of an extended oath of allegiance to the
Special Administrative Region, to be taken by Legislative
Councillors in 1997. This draft text (which is set out at
Annex 5) built on points made by the Chinese side in the
previous round. But the British side made it clear that it
would be unacceptable for the criteria to apply
retrospectively.
25
statement26.8/BRIEFS/NJH
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