TNAG-2739-FCO40-3953-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development--through-tra-1993 — Page 67

UNCLASSIFIED

074276 74

MDLIAN

QICHEN IN WHICH HE SPELT OUT THE SEVEN MAIN TASKS OF THE PWC: (A) TO STUDY AND GIVE ADVICE ON ISSUES RELATING TO THE SETTING UP OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE: (B) TO STUDY FUTURE WORK TO BE UNDERTAKEN BY THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE, IN PARTICULAR THE METHOD OF FORMATION OF THE FIRST SARG AND LEGISLATURE: (C) TO PUBLICISE AND PROMOTE THE BL: (D) TO GIVE ADVICE ON HOW TO HANDLE HK LAWS WHICH WERE IN BREACH OF THE BL: (E) TO STUDY AND GIVE ADVICE ON MAJOR ISSUES STRADDLING 1997 WHICH WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS ON THE SAR'S INTEREST: (F) TO HANDLE ANY MATTERS ASSIGNED BY THE NPC/SC.

19.

QIAN SAID THE WORKING COMMITTEE WOULD HOLD PLENARY SESSIONS AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR, AND THE NEXT MEETING WOULD BE HELD IN EARLY DECEMBER. THE COMMITTEE SHOULD FORMULATE A WORK PLAN IN THE LATTER HALF OF THIS YEAR, AND COME UP WITH PROPOSALS IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS AFTER MAKING IN-DEPTH STUDIES ON VARIOUS ISSUES. STRESSING THE PWC WOULD NOT BE A 'SECOND POWER CENTRE' OR A 'SHADOW CABINET', QIAN SAID IT WOULD BE DISBANDED WHEN THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE WAS SET UP IN 1996.

20.

THE SCMP NOTED (17.7) HK PEOPLE WOULD BE LEFT IN THE DARK AS THE PWC WOULD ADOPT SECRECY RULES WHEREBY MEMBERS WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DISCLOSE DISCUSSIONS WITHOUT AUTHORISATION.

21. THE PRESS CONFERENCE BY LU PING AT THE CLOSING OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE PWC WAS COVERED EXTENSIVELY (18.7). REPORTS QUOTED LU AS SAYING THE PWC WOULD SET UP A LIAISON OFFICE IN HK, THAT THE PWC WOULD NOT INFRINGE ON THE WORK OF THE JLG AND IT WAS NOT ANOTHER 'STOVE'. ON THE QUESTION OF THE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN, LU WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THEY WOULD BE DECIDED BY THE SARPC IN 1996. SEVERAL PAPERS ALSO NOTED THE PEOPLE'S DAILY (17.7) SAID THE PWC WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE SMOOTH TRANSITION OF HK.

22. REPORTS NOTED (18.7) QIAN QICHEN QUOTED THE WORDS OF DENG XIAOPING IN 1982 DURING THE MEETING WITH THE THEN PRIME MINISTER MRS THATCHER. MANY PAPERS HIGHLIGHTED DENG'S REMARKS THAT CHINA MIGHT CHANGE THE TIMETABLE FOR ITS RESUMPTION OF SOVEREIGNTY IF HK SUFFERED GREAT INSTABILITY DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD.

PO SAID QIAN USED DENG'S REMARKS TO CONCLUDE THE TWO-DAY MEETING OF THE PWC TO SHOW CHINA'S POLICY TOWARDS HK WAS FIRM AND UNCHANGEABLE. WHILE CHINA WOULD NOT COMPROMISE ON MATTERS OF PRINCIPLES SUCH AS THOSE RELATING TO SOVEREIGNTY, CHINA WOULD WORK TOWARDS HK'S SMOOTH TRANSITION THROUGH SINCERE CONSULTATION WITH THE BRITISH SIDE. DENG'S WORDS SHOULD GIVE DIRECTIONS TO THE WORK

2

PAGE UNCLASSIFIED