TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 27

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FM HONG KONG

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TELNO 1220

OF 231028Z JULY 93

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HKB 301/2

·CEIVED IN ^EGISTRY

03 A 1993

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INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT : PRESS REPORTS

(23 JULY 1993)

TALKS

pa. Press Roundups

102121

MDHIAN 9861

וד

TOP COPY

Q DIST?

1. THE CONCLUSION OF THE EIGHTH ROUND OF TALKS WAS REPORTED IN

GOOD COVERAGE BY THE PAPERS. SIR ROBIN MCLAREN WAS QUOTED AS

SAYING THAT THE TALKS WERE CONDUCTED NORMALLY AND BOTH SIDES HAD

SERIOUS DISCUSSIONS ON CONCRETE ISSUES. HE DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE PACE OF THE TALKS AND SAID THE BRITISH SIDE HAD FOLLOWED CLOSELY GUIDELINES SET BY THE S OF S.

2.

QUOTING A SOURCE WHO HAD DIRECT UNDERSTANDING OF THE TALKS, MING PAO REPORTED THAT THE MINISTERIAL MEETING HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO

BRING ABOUT A BREAKTHROUGH IN THE EIGHTH ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS. BOTH SIDES STILL HAD WIDE DIFFERENCES, ESPECIALLY OVER THE ''THROUGH TRAIN'' QUESTION. THE PAPER UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CHINESE

HAD ADOPTED A TOUGH STANCE OVER THE THROUGH TRAIN ISSUE AND HAD REFUSED TO DRAW UP ANY OBJECTIVE CRITERIA DURING THE MEETING. THE

SOURCE DESCRIBED THIS ROUND OF TALKS AS BEING FRUSTRATING WITH BOTH

SIDES ONLY AGREEING TO CONTINUE THE NEGOTIATIONS.

3.

QUOTING SOURCES CLOSE TO THE TALKS, THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL REPORTED THAT BOTH SIDES HAD STARTED BARGAINING OVER ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR 1995 IN THIS LAST ROUND OF TALKS BUT PROGRESS HAD BEEN SLOW. QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, THE PAPER REPORTED THAT BRITAIN'S INSISTENCE ON DISCUSSING OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE ''THROUGH TRAIN' AT THE TALKS WAS IGNORING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES FACED BY THE CHINESE SIDE. THE CHINESE SIDE COULD ONLY AGREE TO CONSIDER SUGGESTING TO THE NPC THAT GUIDELINES FOR THE ''THROUGH TRAIN BE DRAWN UP BEFORE THE 1995 POLLS. THE PAPER ALSO QUOTED SOURCES AS SAYING THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD IN THIS ROUND OF TALKS ASKED THE CHINESE SIDE TO CLARIFY ITS PROPOSALS RELATING TO THE FORMATION OF THE NINE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. THE PAPER UNDERSTOOD THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD RESERVATIONS OVER ALLOCATING FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY SEATS TO THE CHINESE ENTERPRISES ASSOCIATION AND THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY ON THE

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