TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 109

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1070

OF 011115Z JULY 93

UNCLASSIFIED

TOP COPY Q DIST?

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

ра

ph. Presadays

022650

MDHIAN 7206

HKB 301/2

RECE

07 JUL 1993

STRY

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORTS.

DESK OFFICEn

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

CABINET MEETING.

REMARKS BY THE GOVERNOR AFTER HIS MEETING WITH THE S OF S WERE WIDELY REPORTED. THE GOVERNOR WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT HE WOULD NOT ABANDON PRINCIPLES IN ORDER TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT, AND THAT THE CABINET MEETING TODAY WOULD DECIDE WHETHER TO INTRODUCE THE RELEVANT LEGISLATION INTO LEGCO BEFORE ITS RECESS. THE PAPERS ALSO REPORTED THAT SCA DISMISSED CRITICISMS THAT HIS PARTICIPATION IN THE GOVERNOR'S TRIP WAS A THREE LEGGED STOOL' TRICK.

2.

ATV REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CABINET MEETING. CHINESE OFFICIALS WERE QUOTED AS SAYING THAT REPORTS ABOUT THE CHINESE SIDE'S PLAYING DELAYING TACTICS BY REFUSING TO DISCUSS SPECIFICS IN THE FIRST FIVE ROUNDS WERE UNTRUE. WHILE THE CHINESE SIDE'S VIEW WAS THAT IT WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO RESOLVE MATTERS OF PRINCIPLE, THE BRITISH SIDE HAD REFUSED TO ADMIT THAT THE SEVEN EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE FOREIGN SECRETARIES WERE AGREEMENTS. IN ORDER TO ENABLE THE TALKS TO CONTINUE, THE CHINESE SIDE HAD AT THE SIXTH ROUND GIVEN VIEWS ON ISSUES LIKE THE FCS AND THE EC, AND AGREED TO DISCUSS SOME TECHNICAL PROBLEMS RELATING TO THE THROUGH TRAIN. THE CHINESE SIDE ACCEPTED THAT THE BL ONLY SET OUT PRINCIPLES, AND THAT DETAILS COULD BE DISCUSSED AS LONG AS DISCUSSIONS WERE BASED ON THE BL. THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE OUTCOME OF THE CABINET MEETING TO SEE WHETHER THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD RESPOND POSITIVELY TO THE CHINESE VIEWS. CHINESE SOURCES ALSO SAID THAT IT WOULD BE A MISJUDGEMENT IF THE BRITISH SIDE THOUGHT THE MEETING COULD PUT PRESSURE ON THE CHINESE. WHILE THEY DID NOT WANT TO SEE ECONOMIC ISSUES AFFECTED BY THE POLITICAL ROW, RESOLUTIONS OF SUCH ISSUES WOULD BE DELAYED IF SINO- BRITISH RELATIONS DETERIORATED.

ON THE OTHER HAND, SING PAO OBSERVED THAT CHINESE ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE CABINET MEETING HAD BEEN COOL: THEIR VIEW WAS THAT THE MEETING WAS A MATTER FOR BRITISH, AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH

3.

1

PAGE UNCLASSIFIED