TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 255

1

UNCLASSIFIED

HKB 301/2

RECEN

IN REGISTRY

MAY 1993

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

DESK

INDEX

PA

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

REGISTRY Action Taken

TELNO 711

OF 080436Z MAY 93

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG

p.3.

Рык

Prese Roundyy

041222

MDHIAN 0205

TOP COPY DIST?

18

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORTS

LAND COMMISSION

1.

THE PAPERS TODAY (8 MAY) NOTED PROMINENTLY THAT NO CONCLUSION WAS REACHED IN YESTERDAY'S LAND COMMISSION MEETING AND AN EXTRA DAY WAS REQUIRED. THE SCM POST HEADLINE SAID THAT THE MEETING ''ENDED IN DEADLOCK''. MOST REPORTS HIGHLIGHTED THAT IT WAS RARE THAT LC MEETINGS COULD NOT BE COMPLETED WITHIN ONE DAY, BUT NOTED THAT THE ATMOSPHERE OF YESTERDAY'S MEETING APPEARED TO BE GOOD. A FEW LEGCO MEMBERS ALSO SAID THAT IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT THE DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING COULD BE FIXED SO EARLY.

2. RTHK YESTERDAY QUOTED SOURCES AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WERE SEEKING MORE INFORMATION FROM THE BRITISH SIDE BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THE DISCUSSIONS. A CHINESE SOURCE TOLD ATV THAT IT WAS A NATURAL ARRANGEMENT FOR THE MEETING TO CONTINUE ON 11 MAY.

3.

HK AFFAIRS ADVISER LEUNG CHUN-YING TOLD TODAY'S SCM POST THAT THE POLITICAL ROW HAD AFFECTED THE CHINESE ATTITUDE IN SCRUTINISING LAND GRANTS: EVERY ITEM WOULD NOW BE LOOKED AT IN DETAIL AND WORDING IN EVERY PAPER ANALYSED CAREFULLY. QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, WAH KIU YAT PO SAID THAT SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS WERE NOT WHAT THEY USED TO BE AND THERE WAS A NEED TO CONSIDER THINGS CAREFULLY. DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HKMAO STATE COUNCIL CHEN ZIYING SAID DURING A VISIT TO MACAU YESTERDAY THAT HE HOPED THE MEETING OF THE SINO-BRITISH LAND COMMISSION COULD ACHIEVE RESULTS.

AIRPORT COMMITTEE

4.

ALSO WIDELY REPORTED WERE CHEN ZIYING'S REMARKS ON THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE. CHEN SAID THE CHINESE HAD NO DIFFICULTY WITH RESUMING THE MEETINGS OF THE AC. WHAT WAS CRUCIAL NOW WAS WHETHER THE BRITISH SIDE COULD PUT FORWARD A NEW FINANCING PROPOSAL COMPATIBLE WITH THE MOU. IF THE BRITISH SIDE COULD DO

PAGE

1

UNCLASSIFIED

Page 255Page 256