TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 16

UNCLASSIFIED

113632

MDLIAN 7959

SOURCES, THE PAPER REPORTED BRITAIN'S INSISTENCE ON DISCUSSING OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN WAS IGNORING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES FACED BY THE CHINESE SIDE. THE CHINESE SIDE COULD ONLY AGREE TO CONSIDER SUGGESTING TO THE NPC THAT GUIDELINES FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN BE DRAWN UP BEFORE THE 1995 POLLS.

10. THE EXPRESS, WAH KIU YAT PO AND SING TAO DAILY GENERALLY BELIEVED THE THROUGH TRAIN REMAINED THE MOST DIFFICULT ISSUE (23.7). THE UNITED DAILY BELIEVED IF THE BRITISH SIDE WERE READY TO

MAKE MORE CONCESSIONS ON THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND ELECTION COMMITTEE, THE CHINESE SIDE MIGHT AGREE TO COME UP WITH OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN BEFORE 1995.

11. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE BBC, PAPERS QUOTED THE GOVERNOR AS SAYING (23.7) THERE HAD BEEN MORE PROGRESS IN THE LAST THREE ROUNDS OF TALKS BUT THERE WAS STILL A LONG WAY TO GO. THE GOVERNOR REPEATED NO DEADLINE WOULD BE SET FOR THE TALKS BUT WHEN THE FINAL MOMENT CAME HKG WOULD HAVE TO TABLE THE REFORM BILL IN LEGCO.

12. QUOTING SOURCES CLOSE TO THE TALKS, THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL SAID (24.7) THERE WERE STILL WIDE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND THE BRITISH SIDES OVER THE NINE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD SUGGESTED THAT KAIFONG ASSOCIATIONS, THE SPORTS SECTOR AND THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY SHOULD BE INCLUDED WHILE ONE MORE FUNCTIONAL SEAT SHOULD BE ALLOCATED TO THE LABOUR SECTOR. CHINESE SOURCES SAID THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD BE HAPPY TO RECEIVE COUNTER-PROPOSALS FROM THE BRITISH SIDE.

13. THE UNITED DAILY QUOTED SOURCES AS SAYING (24.7) THE CHINESE AND BRITISH SIDES HAD REACHED CONSENSUS ON THE PROBLEM OF APPOINTED SEATS FOR DBS. THE RATIO OF ELECTED SEATS TO APPOINTED SEATS WOULD

BE ADJUSTED FROM THE EXISTING 2:1 TO 3:1 INSTEAD OF SCRAPPING THE APPOINTED SEATS ALTOGETHER.

14. TA KUNG PAO CRITICISED THE GOVERNOR (24.7) FOR THE THREE 'FALSE STARTS' IN CONNECTION WITH HIS REFORM PACKAGE. THEY WERE THE MERGER OF THE YAU TSIM AND MONG KOK DISTRICTS, THE SETTING UP OF THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION, AND THE CONFIRMATION THAT THE LEGCO SECRETARIAT WOULD BECOME INDEPENDENT NEXT YEAR. ON THE FIRST TWO ITEMS THE PAPER SAID CHINA HAD ALREADY STATED IT WOULD NOT RECOGNISE MATTER WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS WHICH HAD BEEN DONE WITHOUT ITS CONSENT. THE PAPER FURTHER SAID THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE LEGCO SECRETARIAT WAS ANOTHER STEP IN THE SEPARATION OF EXCO AND LEGCO AS SUGGESTED IN THE GOVERNOR'S REFORM

PAGE

3

UNCLASSIFIED