TNAG-2730-FCO40-3936-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1993 — Page 121

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REPORTS NOTED (5.1) REMARKS BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, AT A YEAR END BRIEFING. SIR DAVID SAID THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS WOULD BE SUBMITTED TO LEGCO IN END FEBRUARY AFTER EXCO.

LEGCO MEMBERS MIGHT PROPOSE AMENDMENTS TO THE PROPOSALS AND IF THESE WERE FAIR, OPEN AND ACCEPTABLE TO HK PEOPLE AND PASSED BY LEGCO, THE HKG WOULD RESPECT AND BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THE AMENDED PACKAGE. HE BELIEVED CHINA WOULD ALSO TAKE ACCOUNT OF

THESE VIEWS. SIR DAVID SAID HE HOPED THE DIFFICULTIES ON THE

CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE WOULD NOT SPILL OVER TO A WIDE RANGE OF

CONTRACTS ON VARIOUS ISSUES INCLUDING THE ECONOMIC FRONT. SIR

DAVID SAID IT REMAINED THE GOVERNMENT'S AIM TO MAINTAIN A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA AS IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT TO HK'S CONFIDENCE AND STABILITY. SIR DAVID, HOWEVER, NOTED IN THE PAST THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING A GOOD RELATIONSHIP SOMETIMES COULD NOT BE THE OVER-RIDING FACTOR IN MAKING GOVERNMENT DECISIONS, AS IN THE CASE OF BOR AND THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME, WHERE DECISIONS WERE MADE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF HK BUT UNDER CHINESE OPPOSITION.

9. REMARKS BY THE GOVERNOR TO LONDON'S EVENING STANDARD WAS

NOTED (5.1). THE GOVERNOR INDICATED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD MADE CLEAR THAT ON THE QUESTION OF POLITICAL REFORMS, THEY WOULD NOT WISH TO MOVE ANY FASTER OR ANY SLOWER THAN HK PEOPLE WOULD WISH TO GO. THEREFORE, BRITAIN WOULD ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH HK PEOPLE'S WISHES. WHEN ASKED WHETHER THERE WAS ROOM FOR ANY COMPROMISE, THE GOVERNOR INDICATED THAT THIS WAS POSSIBLE AND THAT HE HOPED IN THE END, THE ENDORSED BLUEPRINT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO BOTH BRITAIN AND CHINA. THE GOVERNOR INDICATED THAT HE WOULD FINALISE HIS PROPOSALS WITH EXCO THIS MONTH BEFORE

PUTTING HIS PACKAGE TO LEGCO. REPORTS NOTED (5.1) THE GOVERNOR MET WITH UDHK AND THE HK DEMOCRATIC FOUNDATION TO DISCUSS CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS.

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REPORTS QUOTED (5.1) A SOURCE IN THE MAINLAND AS SAYING THAT CHINESE ENTERPRISES AND PROVINCES AND MUNICIPALITIES HAD BEEN

INSTRUCTED VIA AN INTERNAL CIRCULAR TO AVOID PLACING ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE MEDIA WHICH CARRIED ADS AND COMMENTARIES IN SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE. CHINESE SENIOR OFFICIALS IN VARIOUS PROVINCES AND MUNICIPALITIES HAD ALSO BEEN ASKED TO SLOW

DOWN THEIR OFFICIAL VISITS TO HK.

A VICE DIRECTOR OF NCNA HK ZHANG JUNSHENG WAS QUOTED AS SAYING (5.1) THE HKG SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO TABLE ALL

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