TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 208

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9. ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS (19.5) QUOTED CHINESE AND BRITISH SOURCES AS SAYING THEY DID NOT EXPECT THE TALKS COULD BE COMPLETED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. CHINESE SOURCES SAID THEY STILL HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE SINCERITY OF THE BRITISH SIDE AND WERE THEREFORE JUST CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE PROSPECTS. THE REPORT UNDERSTOOD THAT HKG WERE MAINTAINING THE ELECTORAL BILL COULD NOT BE TABLED IN PARTS, BUT THE CHINESE SIDE BELIEVED THAT IT WAS TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE TO PUT THE BILL TO LEGCO IN TWO PARTS.

10. AN ARTICLE IN THE MAY ISSUE OF TREND MAGAZINE QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD CONTINUE TO INSIST ON THE 'THREE COMPLIANCES AND THE THREE PRINCIPLES' IN THE THIRD ROUND, I.E. THEY WOULD OPPOSE ANY INCREASE IN DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS AND THROUGH TRAIN FOR THE LIBERALS. ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, JIANG ZEMIN, AT A MEETING WITH THE MFA AND THE HKMAO ON 29 APRIL, SAID UNDER THE CURRENT CLIMATE, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR BRITAIN TO COME TO AN EARLY AGREEMENT WITH CHINA ON THE BASIS OF THE THREE COMPLIANCES. THE 'TRUE FACE OF THE BRITISH WOULD BE EXPOSED AT THE THIRD AND FOURTH ROUNDS. THE ARTICLE SPECULATED THAT THESE REMARKS MEANT THAT CHINA WOULD NOT MAKE ANY CONCESSION, AT LEAST NOT BEFORE THE FOURTH ROUND.

11. THE PAPERS (21.5) WIDELY NOTED JIANG ENZHU'S REMARKS THAT THE TALKS WERE PROCEEDING NORMALLY. ACCORDING TO THE REPORTS, JIANG REFUSED TO BE DRAWN ON WHETHER HE WAS OPTIMISTIC OR WHETHER

A FOURTH ROUND OF TALKS WOULD BE HELD.

12. SIR ROBIN MCLAREN:S REMARKS (21.5) BOTH BEFORE DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG AND ON ARRIVAL AT PEKING WERE ACCORDED PROMINENT COVERAGE. SIR ROBIN SAID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE AND THE THROUGH TRAIN WAS IMPORTANT. THE

BRITISH SIDE WOULD APPROACH THE TALKS SERIOUSLY AND RESPONSIBLY.

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THE THIRD ROUND OF TALKS WAS PROMINENTLY REPORTED (22. 5) JIANG ENZHU WAS QUOTED AS SAYING BOTH SIDES HAD BEEN WORKING HARD AND THE TALKS WERE PROCEEDING NORMALLY. THE CHINESE SIDE WERE POSITIVE ABOUT THE TALKS AND PROGRESS WOULD BE ACHIEVED IF BOTH SIDES FOLLOWED THE AGREED PRINCIPLES. ON WHETHER THE THROUGH TRAIN QUESTION WOULD BE RAISED, JIANG SAID ITEMS THAT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED IN THE TALKS WOULD BE DISCUSSED. SIR ROBIN MCLAREN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS AGREED BY BOTH SIDES SHOULD BE FAIR AND ACCEPTABLE TO HONG KONG

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