TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 162

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40 1.9 Press Raulyn

P3

170430

MDHIAN 8464

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FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 593

OF 181039Z JUNE 93

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

HKB 301/2

21 Ji 1993

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORTS

CHINESE STATEMENTS

IN RESPONSE TO ENQUIRY WHETHER FCO LOCAL SPOKESMAN'S RECENT REMARKS

ON THE SEVEN SETS OF DIPLOMATIC LETTERS WOULD POSE OBSTACLES TO THE TALKS, MFA SPOKESMAN WU JIANGMIN SAID YESTERDAY THAT THE 1990 EXCHANGE OF LETTERS WERE AGREEMENTS AND UNDERSTANDINGS REACHED BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES ON HONG KONG'S POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. THAT FORMED ONE OF THE 'THREE CONFORMITIES' ON WHICH THE CURRENT TALKS WERE BASED. HE SAID THE LETTERS WERE THE BASIS FOR THE TALKS AND

SHOULD NOT BECOME AN OBSTACLE.

2. ON PROGRESS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, WU SAID THAT HOW LONG THE TALKS SHOULD LAST WAS A MATTER FOR THE TWO SIDES TO DECIDE. HE REITERATED THAT IF BOTH SIDES WERE SINCERE AND APPROACHED THE TALKS ON THE BASIS OF THE THREE CONFORMITIES, POSITIVE RESULTS COULD BE ACHIEVED. WHEN ASKED WHETHER THE SUMMIT MEETING TO BE HELD IN LONDON WOULD CREATE A THREE-LEGGED STOOL' SITUATION, WU SAID ACCORDING TO THE JD, THE RESOLUTION OF MAJOR HONG KONG MATTERS WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TWO SIDES. HE DECLINED TO COMMENT ON WHETHER CHINA WAS CONCERNED THAT TALKS WOULD BE DISCONTINUED AFTER

THE SUMMIT MEETING.

3. THE PAPERS WIDELY REPORTED THE REMARKS MADE BY NCNA VICE-

DIRECTOR ZHANG JUNSHENG YESTERDAY THAT THE ON-GOING TALKS WOULD ONLY BEAR FRUITS IF THE 'THREE CONFORMITIES' WERE ADHERED TO. IF THE BRITISH SIDE ONLY PAID LIP SERVICE TO THE THREE CONFORMITIES', IT WOULD WE DIFFICULT TO SPEED UP PROGRESS. WHEN ENQUIRED WHETHER THE TALKS COULD CONTINUE IF THE BRITISH INSISTED THAT THE EXCHANGE OF LETTERS DID NOT CONSTITUTE AN AGREEMENT, ZHANG SAID THAT IF THE BRITISH CLAIM WERE TRUE, WHAT THEN WAS THE THIRD CONFORMITY WHICH FORMED ONE OF THE BASIS OF THE TALKS.

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