TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 105

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INDEFINITELY AND THAT DELAY WAS CAUSED BY THE BRITISH SIDE. HE SAID THAT A SOLUTION WOULD COME EASILY IF THE BRITISH SIDE RETURNED TO THE THREE CONFORMITIES.

4.

PRO-CHINA LEGISLATOR TAM YIU-CHUNG CRITICISED THE GOVERNOR FOR TRYING TO PUT PRESSURE ON CHINA BY SAYING THAT THE TALKS COULD NOT GO ON INDEFINITELY.

5. THE LEFT-WING PRESS AS ANTICIPATED LASHED OUT AT THE OUTCOME OF THE CABINET MEETING. WEN WEI PO ACCUSED BRITAIN FOR USING THE CABINET MEETING TO EXERT PRESSURE ON THE CHINESE SIDE AND PUTTING THE BLAME OF AN IMPASSE AT THE TALKS ON CHINA. TA KUNG PAO SAID THAT THE CABINET MEETING POSED FURTHER OBSTACLES TO THE POLITICAL TALKS. THE HK COMMERCIAL DAILY COMMENTED THAT THE GOVERNOR'S THREAT TO UNILATERALLY TABLE THE ELECTORAL BILLS IN LEGCO SHOWED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WERE NOT SINCERE TOWARDS THE TALKS.

S OF S'S VISIT

6. ON SPECULATIONS THAT S OF S WOULD SHORTLY MEET QIAN QICHEN, THE PAPERS QUOTED S OF S AS DENYING THAT A MEETING HAD BEEN FIXED. QUOTING FCO SOURCES, ORIENTAL DAILY REPORTED THAT NO MEETING WAS POSSIBLE BEFORE AN AGREEMENT WAS REACHED AT THE POLITICAL TALKS.

TALKS

7. AN ARTICLE IN THE JULY ISSUE OF THE CHENG MING MAGAZINE NOTED THAT RECENT REMARKS MADE BY THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP INDICATED THAT CHINA WOULD ADOPT A HARD LINE POSITION IN THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS. THE ARTICLE REPORTED THAT JIANG ZEMIN AFTER A BRIEFING BY JIANG ENZHU ON 17 JUNE ON THE PROGRESS OF THE TALKS, ACCUSED THE BRITISH SIDE OF PLAYING TRICKS AND INTERNATIONALISING THE HK ISSUE. JIANG REPORTEDLY SAID THAT CHINA WOULD NOT MAKE ANY CONCESSIONS, AND THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO MAKE PREPARATIONS IN THE EVENT THAT THE TALKS BROKE DOWN. THE NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD HOWEVER CONTINUE EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE MERE FORMALITIES. JIANG SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD MAKE PUBLIC THE CONTENTS OF THE TALKS IF NECESSARY.

8. THE MAGAZINE ALSO LEARNT FROM A HKMAO OFFICIAL THAT QIAN QICHEN, AT A HKMAO MEETING HELD ON 10 JUNE, SAID THAT BRITAIN HAD ONLY PAID LIP SERVICE TO THE THREE CONFORMITIES. SINCE BRITAIN WOULD NOT ABIDE BY THE JD AND PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS REACHED BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS, CHINA HAD THE RIGHT TO END BRITISH COLONIAL RULE IN HK AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. THE ARTICLE ALSO NOTED THAT 28

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