TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 19

UNCLASSIFIED

114077

MDLIAN 7002

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1257

OF 281221Z JULY 1993

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

PART TWO OF TWO

HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUND-UP

19. A FEW PAPERS PICKED UP A CNA DISPATCH (28.7) WHICH QUOTED LEGISLATOR TAM YIU CHUNG AND PHILIP WONG CRITICISING THE RECENT REMARKS BY THE GOVERNOR THAT IT WAS BETTER TO PROCEED WITH ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS ON HIS OWN THAN HAVING A BAD AGREEMENT AND THAT HE WOULD STEP BACK FROM THE FRONTLINE AFTER THE 1995 ELECTIONS. TAM WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THESE REMARKS WOULD MAKE PEOPLE CAST DOUBT OVER THE SINCERITY OF THE GOVERNOR IN THE TALKS. WONG SAID THE GOVERNOR HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY TO REFRAIN FROM COMMENTS WHICH MIGHT CREATE CONFRONTATION WITH THE CHINESE.

20. MANY PAPERS (28,7) QUOTE UDHK LEGISLATORS MARTIN LEE AND YEUNG SUM AS SAYING AFTER A MEETING WITH THE FOREIGN SECRETARY AND FCO MINISTER FOR HK ALASTAIR GOODLAD IN LONDON THEY WERE ASSURED BY MR HURD THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FULLY SUPPORTED THE GOVERNOR AND WOULD NOT TRY TO REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH CHINA AT ANY COST.

PREPARATORY WORKING COMMITTEE

21. QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES (22.7), SING TAO DAILY SAID THE PREPARATORY WORKING COMMITTEE'S SECRETARIAT HAD BEGUN ITS WORK AND ITS OFFICE WAS TEMPORARILY LOCATED IN THE STATE COUNCIL'S HKMAO. STAFF OF THE SECRETARIAT WERE SECONDED FROM THE HKMAO. THE REPORT SAID NCNA HK BRANCH DEPUTY DIRECTOR QIN WENJUN WOULD ACT AS THE PWC'S HK LIAISON POINT INSIDE NCNA HK BRANCH. THE SUB-GROUPS WOULDL HOLD MEETINGS IN EITHER GUANGZHOU OR SHENZHEN IN SEPTEMBER.

MILITARY LAND

22.

COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN FOLEY'S INTERVIEW WITH ATV ON MILITARY SITES WAS WIDELY COVERED (27.7). REPORTS

1

PAGE

UNCLASSIFIED

1