TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 212

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100734 MDLIAN 4838

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FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 835

OF 241035Z MAY 93

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

HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUND-UP

PART TWO OF TWO

22. WANG QIREN TOLD (18.5) A HK COMMUNITY GROUP THE DOOR WAS OPEN FOR TALKS ON THE NEW AIRPORT. IF THE BRITISH SIDE COULD COME UP WITH A NEW PROPOSAL ON FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS, THE CHINESE WOULD BE PREPARED TO HOLD DISCUSSIONS ON THE BASIS OF THE MOU.

23. HKMAO DEPUTY DIRECTOR WANG QIREN WAS QUOTED (21.5) AS REITERATING THE CHINESE SIDE WAS SINCERE AND SERIOUS ABOUT THE

TALKS. HE HOPED THAT BOTH SIDES COULD RESTORE TRUST AND CO- OPERATION AND ACHIEVE RESULTS IN NEGOTIATIONS.

QIAN QICHEN

24. IN MEETING A DELEGATION OF DB MEMBERS (21.5), QIAN QICHEN SAID THAT THE TWO SIDES HAD CONDUCTED A NUMBER OF NEGOTIATIONS IN THE PAST, WHICH HAD RESULTED IN A SERIES OF DOCUMENTS. THE CURRENT TALKS SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS RE-NEGOTIATIONS: THEY WERE CONCERNED ON HOW TO PROPERLY IMPLEMENT AGREEMENTS ALREADY REACHED BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES ON THE BASIS OF THE THREE COMPLIANCES AND MAKE SPECIFIC ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS. MR QIAN ALSO SAID THAT THE TALKS HAD NO SECRET AGENDA.

LAND COMMISSION

25. THE MEETING OF THE LAND COMMISSION WHICH CONCLUDED WITH AN AGREEMENT ON THE 1993/94 LAND DISPOSAL PROGRAMME INCLUDING THE SANDWICH CLASS HOUSING SCHEME WAS ACCORDED WIDE COVERAGE (12.5). MOST REPORTS HIGHLIGHTED THERE WAS NO AGREEMENT ON CT9, BUT CONTACTS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES ON THE ISSUE WOULD CONTINUE. BOTH TA KUNG PAO AND WEN WEI PO COMMENTED EDITORIALLY THAT THE AGREEMENT ON THE LAND DISPOSAL PROGRAMME REFLECTED CHINA'S GENUINE CONCERN FOR HK'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY, AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD. AS LONG AS BOTH SIDES COULD RESUME CO-

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