TNAG-2718-FCO40-3924-Hong-Kong-electoral-provisions-and-arrangements-1993 — Page 128

UNCLASSIFIED

117540 MDLIAN 192

OF SINCERITY. THE OFFICIAL HOWEVER DECLINED TO REPLY DIRECTLY ON WHAT EFFECT THE BILL PASSAGE WOULD HAVE ON THE CURRENT TALKS.

5. ANOTHER REPORT IN SING TAO DAILY SAID THAT IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT DURING THE TALKS ON THE FIRST DAY (28 MAY) THE CHINESE SIDE HAD MADE A PROTEST TO THE BRITISH SIDE ON THE PASSAGE OF THE BEC BILL. THE CHINESE SIDE SAID THAT THEY HOPED SIMILAR INCIDENTS WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN AND THAT THE BRITISH SIDE SHOULD NOT MAKE ANY UNILATERAL DECISIONS BEFORE THE TALKS HAD COME TO AN AGREEMENT. A SIMILAR REPORT APPEARED IN HK STANDARD.

6. MING PAO QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES AS SAYING THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL HAD INEVITABLY RAISED CHINESE SUSPICION ON THE SINCERITY OF THE BRITISH. BUT IS SHOULD NOT CREATE TOO BIG AN OBSTACLE TO THE TALKS AND CHINA'S STRONGLY-WORDED STATEMENT WAS LARGELY AIMED AT REMINDING THE BRITISH NOT TO TAKE SIMILAR ACTION AGAIN.

7. QUOTING A SOURCE IN PEKING, HK STANDARD SAID THAT A SELECTED GROUP OF HK AFFAIRS ADVISERS WOULD JOIN OFFICIALS FROM HKMAO AND NCNA IN URGENT TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS'' IN GUANGZHOU. THEY WOULD MEET FOR ABOUT A WEEK FROM TODAY TO SORT OUT COMPLICATED ISSUES EMERGING FROM THE FIRST THREE ROUNDS OF THE TALKS. THE REPORT SAID THAT THE MEETING WOULD BE ''RATHER PRACTICAL''.

PATTEN

YYYY

DISTRIBUTION

72

MAIN

65

.HK POLICY

HKD

PUSD

FED

LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT LEGAL ADVISERS//MISS BROOKS

LEGAL ADVISERS//MR GILES NEWS D

NTCD

PLANNERS

RAD

PS

PS/MR GOODLAD

SIR J COLES

MR HUM

ADDITIONAL

7

CAOFF//SIR R BRAITHWAITE (DIO) CAOFF//MISS NEVILLE-JONES

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CAOFF //MR SIBSON PS NO 10.

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