UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 700
OF 070849Z MAY 93
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
UNCLASSIFIED
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP COPY Q DIST?
HKB
1.2. Press Romanly
036353
MDHIAN 0039
17
301/2
RECE IN REGISTRY
10 MAY 1993
DESK OPMCA
INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORT
NCNA OFFICIAL
1. THE PAPERS TODAY (7 MAY) HIGHLIGHTED REMARKS BY THE DEPUTY HEAD OF THE RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF NCNA HONG KONG, ZHANG XIANGLIN, AT A SEMINAR ON THE PRE- AND POST-1997 ROLE OF CIVIL SERVANTS. ZHANG WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THE CHINESE SIDE UNDERSTOOD THE POSITION OF CIVIL SERVANTS IN THE CURRENT POLITICAL ROW. BUT
THE CHINESE HOPED THAT SENIOR HKG OFFICIALS COULD BEAR IN MIND HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY AND SMOOTH TRANSITION, AND MAKE CAREFUL JUDGEMENT: THEY SHOULD MAKE THEIR OWN CALCULATIONS
IN THEIR HEART AND JUDGE WHAT WAS RIGHT AND WRONG.
2. IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS RAISED DURING THE SEMINAR, ZHANG SAID THOSE OFFICIALS SUCH AS THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN SENSITIVE WORK SHOULD APPROACH THEIR DUTIES PRUDENTLY. SHOULD THEY GO TOO FAR, NOT ONLY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT BUT ALSO THE HONG KONG PUBLIC 'WOULD HAVE VIEWS ON THEM'. THERE COULD THEN HARDLY BE A PLACE FOR THESE OFFICIALS IN THE FUTURE. AS SUCH, THEY SHOULD BE PRUDENT AND IT WOULD BE UNWISE IF THEY WERE TOO INVOLVED AND TOO ACTIVE'. THESE REMARKS WERE PLAYED UP IN THE INDEPENDENT PAPERS.
3. THE REPORT IN TA KUNG PAO ON THE MEETING HAD OMITTED THE REFERENCE TO SCA, WEN WEI PO QUOTED ZHANG AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT TREAT DIFFERENTLY OFFICIALS IN
SENSITIVE POSTS SUCH AS CAB. THE BL HAD MADE CLEAR PROVISIONS FOR
CIVIL SERVANTS. THE REPORT ALSO NOTED THAT ZHANG HOPED SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS WOULD CONTINUE TO DO THEIR JOB ON THE BASIS OF THE THREE COMPLIANCES.
ELECTION COMMITTEE
4. ACCORDING TO WAH KIU YAT PO, FORMER BL DRAFTER XIAO WEIYUN SAID THAT HE HIMSELF FELT THAT THOSE HONG KONG DEPUTIES TO THE NPC AND CPPCC HOLDING PRC PASSPORTS SHOULD NOT SIT ON THE
1
PAGE UNCLASSIFIED
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.