UNCLASSIFIED
113632
MDLIAN 7953
PACKAGE, THE AIM OF WHICH WAS TO STRENGTHEN LEGCO'S ROLE. THE PAPER POINTED OUT THAT RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXCO-LEGCO RELATIONS WERE CONTRARY TO THE GOVERNOR'S INSISTENCE ON AN EXECUTIVE-LED GOVERNMENT WHEN HE FIRST ARRIVED IN HK.
15. WEN WEI PO (24.70 CARRIED SIMILAR CRITICISM AND DESCRIBED THE MERGER OF THE TWO DISTRICTS AS ANOTHER EXAMPLE TO DEMONSTRATE THE GOVERNOR WAS STILL INSISTING ON HIS THREE VIOLATIONS'. THE PAPER QUESTIONED THE BRITISH SIDE'S SINCERITY, SAYING SUCH ACTIONS WERE ATTEMPTS TO DISTURB AND UNDERMINE THE TALKS.
16. THE GOVERNOR'S INTERVIEW WITH ATV WAS WIDELY COVERED (26.7). THE GOVERNOR WAS QUOTED AS SAYING HE HOPED THE TALKS WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL. HOWEVER, IF THEY WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL AND A REASONABLE AGREEMENT COULD NOT BE REACHED, THEN THE HKG WOULD PROCEED UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. HE WOULD NOT SET ANY DEADLINE FOR THE
NEGOTIATIONS.
17. REMARKS BY QIAN QICHEN (26.7) TO REPORTERS IN SINGAPORE WERE REPORTED BY THE HK ECONOMIC TIMES. MR QIAN SAID MR HURD'S VISIT TO CHINA HAD HELPED RESTORE A TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND THE CHINESE. AN UNDERSTANDING HAD BEEN REACHED AND HE HOPED THIS WOULD CONTINUE. THE REPORT NOTED QIAN DID NOT EXPLAIN WHAT THE UNDERSTANDING WAS.
18. AN NCNA DISPATCH QUOTED (28.7) A CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN AS ASKING THE BRITISH SIDE TO STOP ALL ACTIONS THAT MIGHT INTERFERE WITH THE TALKS. ISSUES BEING CRITICISED WERE THE MERGING OF THE YAU TSIN AND MONG KOK DISTRICTS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION WHICH THE SPOKESMAN SAID WERE UNILATERAL MOVES BY THE BRITISH SIDE TO CREATE A FAIT ACCOMPLI. THE SPOKESMAN SAID THOSE TWO MOVES WERE RELATED TO ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994/95 POLLS AND WERE SUBJECT TO DISCUSSION AND AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND BRITISH SIDES.
FORD
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