TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 247

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MDLIAN 1828

12. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CHINESE MFA WAS REPORTED (5.5) TO HAVE SAID THAT THE US SHOULD NOT INTERFERE WITH HK ISSUES AND THE GOVERNOR SHOULD NOT RAISE THESE ISSUES IN THE U S.

13. REMARKS BY THE GOVERNOR ON HIS RETURN TO HK WERE REPORTED IN GOOD COVERAGE (10.5). THE GOVERNOR SAID HIS VISIT TO THE US WAS USEFUL AND EFFECTIVE. HE HAD REFLECTED CLEARLY HK'S STAND ON THE MFN ISSUE AND BELIEVED THE US WOULD TAKE THE HK FACTOR INTO ACCOUNT WHEN CONSIDERING RENEWAL OF CHINA'S MFN STATUS.

14. THE LEFT-WING PRESS CRITICISED STRONGLY THE GOVERNOR FOR PLAYING THE ''INTERNATIONAL CARD'' AND PROMOTING THE ''THREE- LEGGED STOOL'' THEORY DURING HIS TRIP TO THE US (10.5). KUNG PAO COMMENTARY ACCUSED THE GOVERNOR OF DELIBERATELY SABOTAGING THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS. AN ARTICLE IN WEN WEI PO SAID THE TRIP WAS AIMED AT WOOING THE US AND WESTERN POWERS TO COLLABORATE WITH BRITAIN TO TURN HK INTO AN INDEPENDENT POLITICAL ENTITY.

15. THE COMING ISSUE OF THE ''OUTLOOK'' MAGAZINE CARRIED A BY-

LINED ARTICLE CALLING ON THE US CONGRESS TO GIVE DUE

CONSIDERATION TO THE INTERESTS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND MADE A SOUND DECISION ON MFN, IN ORDER TO PREVENT A WORSENING OF SINO-U S RELATIONS. THE ARTICLE CRITICISED (10.5) THE INTERFERENCE OF CHINA'S DOMESTIC AFFAIRS BY SOME US LEGISLATORS.

NEW AIRPORT

16. A COMMENTARY IN THE MAY ISSUE OF BAUHINIA MAGAZINE NOTED THE KEY TO BREAKING THE DEADLOCK OVER THE NEW AIRPORT QUESTION WAS FOR THE BRITISH SIDE TO CHANGE ITS COURSE AND TO RETURN TO THE PATH OF THE MOU. THE CHINESE POSITION ON THE AIRPORT HAD BEEN CONSISTENT: THEY WOULD ADHERE TO THE MOU AND AS LONG AS THE PROJECT WAS CARRIED OUT ON THE BASIS OF COST-EFFECTIVENESS, THEY WOULD NOT ONLY SUPPORT THE CONSTRUCTION BUT WOULD SINCERELY HOPE THAT THE PROJECT COULD BE COMPLETED BY 1997. COMMENTING ON REPORTS ON A THIRD FINANCIAL PACKAGE, THE ARTICLE SAID IF IT WAS ONLY A MODIFIED VERSION OF THE PREVIOUS TWO, WITHOUT CUTTING COSTS AND SOLVING THE CALLABLE EQUITY PROBLEM, THE CHINESE WOULD NOT ACCEPT IT. IF THE BRITISH SIDE WERE SINCERE, IT SHOULD NOT CONSIDER USING THE LAND FUND AND SHOULD TRY TO KEEP THE AMOUNT OF DEBTS UNDER DOLLARS 5 BILLION. THE COMMENTARY ALSO SAID THAT THE STEP BY STEP APPROACH IN SETTING FUNDS FOR THE NEW AIRPORT WAS AIMED AT CREATING A FAIT ACCOMPLI FOR THE SAR.

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