TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 266

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4. ZHENG GUOXIONG (16.4) SAID THE TALKS SHOULD BE HELD ON THE BASIS OF THE PRINCIPLES CONFIRMED IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT. HE HOPED THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD NOW CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE CONDUCIVE TO THE TALKS, AND WOULD NOT SAY ANYTHING CONFLICTING THE AGREED PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT.

5. MANY PAPERS NOTED (17.4) THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SAID IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THOSE CHOSEN IN 1995 TO THE LEGCO SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO THEIR JOB AFTER 1997. REPORTS NOTED THE FOREIGN SECRETARY REAFFIRMED SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE AND SAID THE CHINESE SIDE SHOULD RAISE SOME CONSTRUCTIVE PROPOSALS IN THE TALKS.

6. THE PAPERS WIDELY NOTED (17.4) THE PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE GOVERNOR IN LONDON. THE GOVERNOR REITERATED HIS PROPOSALS WERE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JD AND BL. HE SAID SINCE THE RELEASE OF HIS PACKAGE THE BRITISH SIDE HAD ALL ALONG DEALT WITH THE PROBLEM WITH FLEXIBILITY. HE LOOKED FORWARD TO THE CHINESE SIDE PUTTING FORWARD THEIR PROPOSALS AND FOR CONSTRUCTIVE EXCHANGE OF VIEWS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES.

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THE ASSISTANT TO ZHOU NAN OF NCNA, WANG RUDENG, CRITICISED (19.4) SOME PEOPLE FOR MAKING COMMENTS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE TALKS. THIS WOULD NOT BE CONDUCIVE TO THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE TALKS, WHICH HE SAID SHOULD BE CONDUCTED ON THE BASIS OF THE ''THREE COMPLIANCES''. THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE SHOULD NOT BE THE STARTING POINT FOR THE TALKS.

8. REPORTS NOTED (19.4) THE LINE-UP FOR THE CHINESE SUPPORT TEAM WHICH COMPRISED THE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S DIRECTOR ZHAO JIHUA, STATE COUNCIL HKMAO OFFICIALS WANG FENGCHAO AND WEI LINGYAN AND NCNA OFFICIAL CHEN WEI.

9. THE ARRIVAL OF SIR ROBIN MCLAREN IN HK WAS CARRIED BY MANY PAPERS (21.4). IT WAS NOTED SIR ROBIN HELD MEETINGS WITH SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND AN INFORMAL DISCUSSION WITH EXCO MEMBERS IN PREPARATION FOR THE COMING TALKS. SIR ROBIN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD APPROACH THE TALKS IN A CONSTRUCTIVE MANNER, HOPING THAT RESULTS WOULD BE ACHIEVED.

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REMARKS BY CHINESE OFFICIALS ON THE EVE OF THE TALKS WERE WIDELY COVERED (22.4). THE REPORTS NOTED THAT CHINESE PREMIER LI PENG AT A MEETING WITH DB DELEGATION SAID HE HOPED THAT RESULTS WOULD BE ACHIEVED THROUGH EFFORTS BY BOTH SIDES AND REITERATED

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