TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 14

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INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, BIS NEW YORK INFO ROUTINE HKGO SAN FRANCISCO, HKGO GENEVA

74)

113632 MDLIAN 7959

PART ONE OF TWO

HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE: (21.7-28.7)

SUMMARY

THE EIGHT ROUND OF TALKS ON HK'S 1994/95 ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS RECEIVED PROMINENT COVERAGE. ALSO FEATURED WERE

REPORTS ON MILITARY LAND AND THE STATIONING OF TROOPS IN HK AFTER 1997.

SINO-BRITISH TALKS

2. THE PAPERS (21.7) GAVE PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THE FIRST DAY OF MEETING OF THE EIGHTH ROUND OF TALKS. MOST REPORTS HIGHLIGHTED SIR ROBIN MCLAREN'S REMARKS THAT THE TALKS HAD ENTERED A NEW PHASE IN

THAT THE TWO FOREIGN MINISTERS HAD GIVEN SOME USEFUL GUIDELINES TO ENABLE THE TALKS TO CONCENTRATE ON MORE CONCRETE ISSUES. JIANG ENZHU DECLINED TO COMMENT ON WHETHER AN AGREEMENT WOULD BE REACHED BEFORE THE GOVERNOR'S SECOND POLICY ADDRESS ON 6 OCTOBER. JIANG SAID SO LONG AS THE TWO SIDES COULD STICK TO THE THREE CONFORMITIES THERE SHOULD BE NO DIFFERENCES THAT COULD NOT BE NARROWED OR DIFFICULTIES THAT WERE INSURMOUNTABLE. COMMENTING ON HIS REMARKS MADE AT AN SARPC PREPARATORY WORKING COMMITTEE MEETING LAST WEEK, JIANG SAID HE HAD ONLY MADE CLEAR THE CHINESE STAND ON THE QUESTION OF THE SAR LEGISLATURE IN 2007 AND HAD NOT DISCLOSED THE CONTENTS OF THE TALKS. JIANG ALSO CLARIFIED HE HAD NEVER SAID THERE WOULD BE 'ABSOLUTELY NO CONCESSIONS' ON FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, THE ELECTION COMMITTEE AND THE THROUGH TRAIN.

3. NCNA HK BRANCH DEPUTY DIRECTOR ZHU YHUCHENG WAS QUOTED (21.7) AS SAYING IT WOULD NOT BE DIFFICULT TO SOLVE CONCRETE PROBLEMS RELATING TO THE ELECTION COMMITTEE AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AS MAJOR PRINCIPLES HAD ALREADY BEEN LAID DOWN IN THE BL AND THE DIPLOMATIC EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. THE THROUGH TRAIN WAS,

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