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MDHIAN 18
CHUN-YING.
10. HK AFFAIRS ADVISER CHENG YIU-TONG SAID THAT HE HAD PROPOSED TO HKMAO AND NCNA THAT THE SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE WORK ORGAN SHOULD NOT ONLY COVER CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES, BUT ALSO ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, CULTURAL MATTERS AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT.
AIRPORT
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11. TODAY'S WAH KIU YAT PO QUOTED SOURCES AS SAYING THAT A CONSENSUS HAD BEEN REACHED BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN ON THE DEFINITION OF THE DOLLARS 5 BILLION GOVERNMENT LOANS DURING NEGOTIATIONS ON THE AIRPORT MOU. THE AGREEMENT THAT LOANS SHOULD INCLUDE THOSE INCURRED BY THE PAA AND THE MTRC WAS RECORDED IN ''BLACK AND WHITE
NOW THE TWO SIDES SEEMED TO HAVE DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE LOANS. SOURCES ALLEGED THAT THE MAJOR STICKING POINT AT AC MEETINGS WAS THE LIMIT ON LOANS, AND IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT AN AGREEMENT COULD BE REACHED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE SOURCES ACCUSED THE BRITISH SIDE OF PUBLICLY GIVING A DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION AFTER A CONSENSUS HAD BEEN REACHED. THIS WAS ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT ''MEGAPHONE DIPLOMACY''
COURT OF FINAL APPEAL
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12. THE PAPERS ACCORDED GOOD COVERAGE TO REMARKS MADE BY EXCO MEMBER EDWARD CHEN YESTERDAY THAT THE CFA BILL WAS BEING DRAFTED AND WOULD SHORTLY BE SUBMITTED TO EXCO FOR CONSIDERATION. CHEN SAID THAT IT WAS UNREALISTIC TO EXPECT THAT THE JLG AGREEMENT COULD BE AMENDED. PERSONALLY HE OBJECTED TO THE RESTRICTION ON THE NUMBER OF OVERSEAS JUDGES BUT AGREED THAT THE CFA SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED ASAP BEFORE 1997. HE OPINED THAT A POSSIBLE COMPROMISE SOLUTION WAS TO LIST IN THE APPENDIX OF THE LEGISLATION THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE NUMBER OF OVERSEAS JUDGES COULD BE CHANGED, HENCE PROVIDING A DEGREE OF FLEXIBILITY.
13.
FORMER BL DRAFTER WU JIANFAN ATTACKED CHEN'S PROPOSAL AS A VIOLATION OF THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT. HE SAID IT WOULD BE FUTILE FOR THE HKG TO CALL FOR FLEXIBILITY BY PLAYING WITH THE WORDING OF THE LAW. WU SAID CHINA HAD NOT YET RECEIVED A COPY OF THE BILL AND URGED THAT CONSULTATION SHOULD BE RESUMED.
14. NCNA VICE-DIRECTOR ZHU YUCHENG SAID YESTERDAY THAT BOTH THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES SHOULD ABIDE BY THE JLG AGREEMENT ON
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