TNAG-2726-FCO40-3932-Hong-Kong-opinion-polls-on-constitutional-development-1993 — Page 68

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 522

OF 010953Z APRIL 93

UNCLASSIFIED

HKB 011/12

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

6

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

REGISTRY Action Teken

A

po

5/4

3)

131403

MDLIAN 4319

his

§13.-/162) Leglo fli

524

§ 34 x 35 → Opinion

→

INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA

Polls

PART ONE OF TWO

HONG KONG FUTURE : PRESS COVERAGE : (24.3

SUMMARY

1.

****

31.3)

REMARKS BY CHINESE OFFICIALS INCLUDING QIAN QICHEN AND LU PING FEATURED. REPORTS ON APPOINTMENTS OF THE SECOND BATCH OF HK AFFAIRS ADVISERS AND NPC ENDORSEMENT OF THE SETTING UP OF A WORKING ORGANISATION FOR THE SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE ALSO RECEIVED WIDE COVERAGE.

QIAN QICHEN

2. IN A PRESS CONFERENCE ON 24.3, QIAN REFERRED TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MESSAGE OF 6 FEBRUARY TO HIM IN WHICH HE SAID THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD PROPOSED A MEETING IF SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE IN THE TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. QIAN SAID THAT CONDITIONS FOR SUCH A MEETING WAS NOT YET RIPE AS NOT TALKS HAD STARTED. HE ADDED THAT THE HK QUESTION HAD ALREADY BEEN RESOLVED IN 1984, BUT THERE WERE NOW OBSTACLES TO CO-OPERATION. HE SAID THAT SOME PEOPLE WERE NOW SAYING THAT HK HAD BECOME A POLITICAL CITY WITH GROWING DEMANDS AND INCREASING NUMBER OF POLITICAL ORGANISATIONS. CERTAIN CHANGES WERE THUS NECESSARY. HE SAID SUCH REMARKS GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE JD WAS OUTDATED. THIS CONCERNED A MAJOR QUESTION: THAT THE AGREEMENT ALREADY REACHED ON HK SHOULD BE CHANGED.

3.

MANY PAPERS (24.3) REPORTED THE RESPONSE OF THE FCO AS SAYING THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WAS WILLING TO HAVE TALKS WITH THE CHINESE ALTHOUGH IT WAS TOO EARLY TO COMMENT WHEN THE MEETINGS WOULD TAKE PLACE. THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO CHINA, SIR ROBIN MCLAREN, WAS ALSO QUOTED (25.3) AS SAYING THAT THE BRITISH SIDE DID NOT THINK THE JD WAS OUTDATED OR NEEDED AMENDMENTS. HE ADDED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD FIRMLY ABIDE BY THE JD AND THAT NO ONE WANTED TO CREATE

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