TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 239

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HKB 301/2

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

13 MAY 1993

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FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 736

OF 120948Z MAY 93

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

pa. Press Roundy

پھر

050422

MOLIAN 2400

21

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORTS

LAND COMMISSION

1. THE MEETING OF THE LAND COMMISSION ON 11 MAY WAS ACCORDED WIDE MEDIA COVERAGE TODAY (12 MAY). MOST REPORTS HIGHLIGHTED THAT THERE WAS NO AGREEMENT ON CT9, BUT CONTACTS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES ON THE ISSUE WOULD CONTINUE.

2.

BOTH TA KUNG PAO AND WEN WEI PO COMMENTED EDITORIALLY THAT THE AGREEMENT ON THE LAND DISPOSAL PROGRAMME REFLECTED CHINA'S GENUINE CONCERN FOR HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY, AS WE AS THE PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD. AS LONG AS BOTH SIDES COULD RESU.. CO-OPERATION ON THE BASIS OF THE JD AND HOLD A PRAGMATIC ATTI IN RESOLVING HONG KONG ISSUES INCLUDING THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS, ARRANGEMENTS WHICH COULD MEET THE INTERESTS OF VARIOUS PARTIES AND THE WISHES OF HONG KONG PEOPLE COULD CERTAINLY BE WORKED OUT.

3.

A NUMBER OF OTHER PAPERS HOPED THAT WITH THE CONCLUSION OF THE LC MEETING, BOTH THE JLG AND THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE COULD RESUME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO AS NOT TO STALL HONG KONG'S INFRASTRUCTURAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE PAPERS WERE GENERALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT NO AGREEMENT HAD BEEN REACHED ON CT9.

4.

THE PRESS ALSO REPORTED REMARKS BY DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HKMAO STATE COUNCIL, WANG QIREN, WHEN MEETING A HONG KONG DELEGATION YESTERDAY. WITHOUT NAMING THE GOVERNOR, WANG CRITICISED HIM FOR MAKING REMARKS OVERSEAS RECENTLY THAT WERE NOT IN LINE WITH THE THREE COMPLIANCES. WANG URGED BOTH SIDES TO MAINTAIN A GOOD ATMOSPHERE BEFORE THE THIRD ROUND OF SINO-BRITISH TALKS. ON THE NEW AIRPORT, WANG SAID CHINA'S STAND HAD BEEN VERY CLEAR. SUPPORTED THE BUILDING OF A NEW AIRPORT THAT WAS COST-EFFECTIVE AND IN LINE WITH THE MOU. SOME REPORTS NOTED THAT WANG HAD REITERATED THE BASIC LAW PROVISIONS ON THE THROUGH TRAIN.

SIR PERCY CRADOCK

5. JOHN ELLISON OF ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS REPORTED THAT SIR PERCY

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