UNCLASSIFIED
131403
MDLIAN 4319
15. PAPERS (31.3) REPORTED THAT EXCO WOULD NOT DECIDE ON A DATE FOR TABLING THE REFORM BILL UNTIL AFTER EASTER. SOME PAPERS QUOTED FELICE LIEH MAK AS SAYING THAT EXCO WOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS DURING EASTER BEFORE MAKING A DECISION. SOME REPORTS CARRIED A GOVERNMENT STATEMENT SAYING THAT EXCO RECOGNISED THE NEED TO ENSURE SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE LEGISLATION TO BE ENACTED BEFORE THE SUMMER RECESS. SOME PAPERS QUOTED SOURCES AS SAYING THAT SHOULD THERE BE NO BREAKTHROUGH IN DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS THE GOVERNMENT WOULD TABLE THE BILL ON APRIL 21. MING PAO UNDERSTOOD THAT TABLING THE BILL ON APRIL 21 WAS THE MAINSTREAM THINKING OF EXCO AND THAT VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS HAD BEEN ASKED TO CONSIDER CONTINGENCY MEASURES TO MEET ANY POSSIBLE REACTIONS FROM THE CHINESE SIDE.
16. NCNA VICE-DIRECTOR ZHENG GUOXING CRITICISED THE GOVERNOR FOR USING THE TABLING OF THE REFORM BILL TO PRESSURISE THE CHINESE SIDE. HE SAID THE GOVERNOR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT HE HAD TIME AND AGAIN DAMAGED THE BASIS OF SINO-BRITISH CO-OPERATION AND SHOULD NOT RUIN IT THE THIRD TIME. DAB'S TAM YIU-CHUNG SAID DELAYING THE TABLING OF THE BILL WAS NOT ENOUGH TO DEMONSTRATE THE SINCERITY OF THE BRITISH SIDE. MARTIN LEE AND CHRISTINE LOH WERE DISAPPOINTED WITH EXCO'S DECISION. LEE DEMANDED AN EXPLANATION FROM THE GOVERNMENT WHILE LOH SAID APRIL 21 WOULD BE LATEST DATE THE BILL SHOULD BE TABLED. ALLEN LEE, STEPHEN CHEONG AND SAMEUL WONG SUPPORTED THE DECISION AND BELIEVED THAT THE MOVE WOULD BE CONDUCIVE TO TALKS.
CPPCC RESOLUTION
17. THE PRESS (28.3) WIDELY NOTED LAST MINUTE CHANGES TO A RESOLUTION ON HONG KONG CARRIED BY THE CPPCC. THE ORIGINAL DRAFT SAID THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD THE DETERMINATION AND ABILITY TO RESUME SOVEREIGNTY OF HONG KONG AS SCHEDULED BUT THE LAST 2 WORDS HAD BEEN DELETED IN THE NEW VERSION. HKMAO VICE DIRECTOR CHEN ZIYING WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE TOO WORRIED ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS, ADDING THAT CHINA WOULD ABIDE BY THE JD AND BL. CPPCC HONG KONG DELEGATE TSANG TUK-SHING SAID THAT THE DELETION OF THE LAST 2 WORDS WAS MEANT TO MAKE IT MORE FLEXIBLE AND NOT TO IMPLY ANY POSSIBILITY OF AN EARLY TAKE OVER OF HONG KONG BY CHINA.
FORD
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