TNAG-2767-FCO40-3984-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-interviews--press-briefings-and-the--1993 — Page 112

17-MAR-1993 18:16

HK GOVERNMENT HOUSE

17-MAR-1927 17:49

G.1.5.

852 521 1868 P.06

9.03

+ 872 810 1721

0.6

QUESTION:

AND

SAY OF

I.M WITH SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR TALKS JUST NOW

CHINA THAT IN THE COURSE OF THE CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN

NARROWING. BRITAIN IN PREPARATION FOR THE TALKS THE DIFFERENCES WERE

ACCORDING TO WHAT WAS SAID BY GOVERNOR

ON HOWEVER.

PATTEN

FRIDAY,

ACTUALLY

WERE THERE

MORE DIFFERENCES IN THE TALKS ON FRIDAY. ACCORDING TO THE NEWS FROM THE BRITISH SIDE, DURING THE CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN ON THURSDAY THE CHINESE SIDE DID NOT THAT IT WOULD OPPOSE TO THE PARTICIPATION IN THE TALKS BY MEMBERS

HONG THE

KONG GOVERNMENT. HOWEVER, THE CHINESE SIDE RAISED THIS QUESTION ON FRIDAY. UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS FORCED TO MAKE THE DECISION TO GO AHEAD WITH THE GAZETTING OF CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE AND ALSO ACCORDING TO THE NEWS FROM THE BRITISH SIDE, ON THURSDAY THE CHINESE SIDE PUT FORWARD A PROPOSED DATE FOR THE START OF THE TALKS. HOWEVER DURING THE TALKS ON FRIDAY. THE CHINESE SIDE DID NOT TALK ABOUT THIS DATE, WHY THE CHANGE OVERNIGHT?

DIRECTOR:

THE

ACCEPTED

WELL, I WANT TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THE FIRST QUESTION IS IN RELATION TO THE PARTICIPATION IN THE TALKS BY THE MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. THIS QUESTION WAS RAISED AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN IN PREPARATION FOR THE TALKS AND THIS QUESTION WAS NEVER RESOLVED IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS OF THE CONSULTATION. AS FAR AS THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED WE ARE NOT SAYING THAT WE WANT TO EXCLUDE MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE TALKS, THIS IS NOT OUR INTENTION. HOWEVER, SINCE THE TALKS ARE GOING TO BE DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN · TWO SOVEREIGN STATES, SO I HAVE TO PUT FORWARD THE PROPOSAL THAT EACH SIDE SHOULD ONLY SEND ONE OR TWO REPRESENTATIVES TO HAVE THE TALKS. AND ACTUALLY, IT IS NOT THE CHINESE SIDE WHO FIRST PUT FORWARD THIS PROPOSAL. LAST YEAR DURING HIS MEETING WITH VICE PREMIER ZHU RONGJI PRIME MINISTER JOHN MAJOR OF BRITAIN TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO SAY THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD LIKE TO SEND A SPECIAL ENVOY TO BEIJING TO HAVE TALKS WITH US. WITH A VIEW TO SOLVING THE PROBLEMS. WE HIS PROPOSALS. AND SO IN OUR REPLY TO THE BRITISH SIDE WE SAID THAT THE BRITISH SIDE CAN SEND A SPECIAL ENVOY TO BEIJING TO HAVE TALKS OR TO APPOINT THE AMBASSADOR, THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO CHINA, AS THE GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE OF BRITAIN. ON THE CHINESE SIDE. THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD LIKE TO SEND TWO REPRESENTATIVES, ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE FOREIGN MINISTRY AND A DEPUTY REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL. SO THE QUESTION OF A DELEGATION SIMPLY DOES NOT EXIST. WE SAY THAT WE SHOULD SEND TWO REFRESENTATIVES BECAUSE THIS WILL BE THE DIPLOMATIC TALKS BETWEEN THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENT OR

SPECIAL ENVOYS OF THE TWO COUNTRIES. OUR PROPOSAL IS THAT THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE TALKS SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THEIR CAPACITY AS ADVISERS OR EXPERTS WHO SHOULD ASSIST THESE SPECIAL ENVOYS OR THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TWO SIDES IN THE TALKS. ON 11 MARCH, THAT IS THURSDAY, IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT THE STALEMATE ON THIS ISSUE WAS NOT BROKEN, WE SUGGESTED THAT WE CAN CONSIDER THE IDEA OF APPOINTING ONLY ONE REPRESENTATIVE NOT TWO, AND ALL THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THE TALKS WILL ONLY BE ÁDVISERS OR EXPERTS TO ASSIST THE WORK OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OR THE SPECIAL ENVOYS OF THE TWO SIDES. THIS WOULD MEAN THAT EVEN PEOPLE FROM THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE WILL