TNAG-2767-FCO40-3984-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-interviews--press-briefings-and-the--1993 — Page 118

UNCLASSIFIED

pa.

Media

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

HKB

301/1

RECEIVER IN REGISTRY

17 MAR 1993

TO PRIORITY FCO

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

TELNO 393

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

OF 11085OZ MARCH 93

052361

MDLIAN 9702

TOP COPY Q DIST?

INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

57

INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA

HONG KONG FUTURE : PRESS COVERAGE/: (6.3 11.3)

SUMMARY

1. SPECULATION ON POSSIBLE RESUMPTION OF TALKS ON HK'S

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS CONTINUED TO DOMINATE.

RESUMPTION OF SINO-BRITISH TALKS

THE GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT AND HIS QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION IN LEGCO WAS PROMINENTLY REPORTED (6.3). THE GOVERNOR SAID DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS HAD TAKEN PLACE IN RECENT WEEKS IN PEKING AND THE AIM HAD BEEN TO EXPLORE A FIRM AND PRODUCTIVE BASIS FOR TALKS ON THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS. THE BRITISH SIDE HAD MADE PLAIN THAT THEY WERE READY FOR TALKS TO PROCEED ON THE BASIS OF THE JD, THE PRINCIPLE OF CONVERGENCE WITH THE BL AND THE RELEVANT UNDERSTANDINGS AND AGREEMENTS REACHED BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN. THE GOVERNOR SAID AS FAR AS THE BRITISH SIDE WERE CONCERNED, THEY WERE READY TO TALK IMMEDIATELY. FOLLOWING FURTHER EXCHANGES IN PEKING THAT WEEK, THERE REMAINED ONLY A FEW POINTS OF DISAGREEMENT WHICH COULD AND SHOULD BE RESOLVED QUICKLY. IN THE MEANTIME, IT WAS JUDGED TO BE BEST TO DEFER GAZETTING FOR THE FOURTH TIME. IT WAS NOTED THE GOVERNOR REASSURED LEGCO MEMBERS THEY WOULD NOT BE FORCED TO MERELY 'RUBBER STAMP' ANY AGREEMENT NO ACCEPTABLE TO HK PEOPLE. THE GOVERNOR ALSO SAID GAZETTAL COULD NOT BE DEFERRED INDEFINITELY AND CAUTIONED THAT NEGOTIATIONS, IF THEY TOOK PLACE, WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT.

3.

MING PAO (6.3) QUOTED A PEKING SOURCE AS SAYING THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD SERIOUSLY STUDY THE GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT. THE CHINESE BELIEVED BASICALLY THE STATEMENT WOULD NOT HAVE ANY NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE CURRENT DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH MING PAO, HKMAO OFFICIAL ZHENG XIAOMING SAID THERE WAS NOTHING NEW IN THE STATEMENT AND THE GOVERNOR'S MOVE WOULD HAVE NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS UNDERWAY.

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