TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 221

UNCLASSIFIED

p.4. Press Kenedys

075332

MDHIAN 1749

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 817

OF 2105OOZ MAY 93

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG

TOP COPY Q DIST 2

HKB

301/2

RECEIVED IN

25 MAY 1993

ISTRY

TALKS ON 1994/95 ELECTIONS: PRESS REPORTS.

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

REMARKS BY REPRESENTATIVES.

27

1. THE PAPERS TODAY (21 MAY) WIDELY NOTED JIANG ENZHU'S REMARKS YESTERDAY 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.

2. SIR ROBIN MCLAREN'S REMARKS BOTH BEFORE DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG AND ON ARRIVAL AT PEKING WERE ACCORDED PROMINENT COVERAGE. THE REPORTS HIGHLIGHTED SIR ROBIN'S REMARKS THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE AND THAT THE THROUGH TRAIN WAS IMPORTANT. THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD APPROACH THE TALKS SERIOUSLY AND RESPONSIBLY.

LU PING.

3

IN MEETING A DELEGATION OF DB MEMBERS IN PEKING YESTERDAY, LU PING SAID THAT THE CHINESE POSITION ON THE TALKS ON THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS HAD NEVER CHANGED: THEY HAD TO BE CONDUCTED ON THE BASIS OF THE THREE COMPLIANCES. LU SAID HE HOPED PROGRESS COULD BE MADE IN THIS AND SUBSEQUENT ROUNDS SO THAT PROBLEMS COULD BE RESOLVED EARLY.

4 -

IN REPLY TO PRESS QUESTIONS ON WHETHER THE TALKS WOULD COVER THE SUBJECT OF THROUGH TRAIN, LU SAID THE BASIC LAW HAD MADE CLEAR PROVISIONS ON THIS SUBJECT. THERE WAS NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT. THE NPC DECISION ON THE FIRST SAR GOVERNMENT AND FIRST LEGISLATURE, HAVING PASSED BY THE NPC, WAS LEGALLY BINDING: NOT EVEN A WORD COULD BE CHANGED.

WANG QIREN.

5. HKMAO DEPUTY DIRECTOR, WANG QIREN, WAS QUOTED AS REITERATING

1

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UNCLASSIFIED