UNCLASSIFIED
000 14
MDLIAN 8. 8
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 629
OF 221036Z APRIL 93
INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA
HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE: (9.4-22.4)
PART TWO OF TWO PARTS
F
CORRECTED VERSION VARIOUS AND APOLOGIES.
19. A WEN WEI PO EDITORIAL SAW (15.4) REMARKS BY EDWARD CHEN ON THE THROUGH TRAIN AS A CHALLENGED TO THE POWERS OF THE SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE AND THE CONFIRMATION PROCEDURES FOR THE FIRST SAR LEGCO. IT CONTENDED THAT CHEN'S REMARKS WOULD DAMAGE THE BASIS FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN AND CREATE DIFFICULTIES FOR THE TALKS. AN ARTICLE IN THE TA KUNG ALSO MAINTAINED THAT THE BOTTOMLINE OF HAVING ALL MEMBERS OF THE 1995 LEGCO TO CROSS OVER 1997 WOULD BE UNREALISTIC. THE ARTICLE STRESSED THAT THE BL HAD MADE PROVISIONS FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN AND SUGGESTED THAT THOSE WHO WERE AGAINST CHINA, AGAINST COMMUNISM AND WHO WERE STILL UPHOLDING BRITISH INTERESTS COULD NOT RIDE THE THROUGH TRAIN.
20. THE SCMP (16.4) QUOTED A CHINESE OFFICIAL AS SAYING CHINA WOULD NOT ACCEPT BRITAIN'S DEMAND THAT THE 1995 MEMBERS WOULD AUTOMATICALLY STRADDLE 1997. THE OFFICIAL SAID THE BL HAD CLEARLY STIPULATED THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN. HE SAID THAT CHINA HAD NO RIGHT TO ENDORSE THE RIGHT OF THE MEMBERS TO SIT ON THE 1997 LEGCO: IT WAS A MATTER WITH THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE. THE REPORT ALSO QUOTED ANOTHER CHINESE SOURCE AS SAYING THE BRITISH WERE TRYING TO EXCHANGE THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE FOR CHINESE UNDERTAKING TO ALLOW A HANDFUL OF ANTI-CHINESE POLITICIANS TO GET ON THE THROUGH TRAIN. BUT CHINA WOULD NOT BARTER AWAY PRINCIPLES.
21. WANG RUDENG WAS QUOTED (19.4) AS SAYING THE BL HAD MADE CLEAR PROVISIONS ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE FIRST SAR LEGISLATURE. A COMMENTARY IN WEN WEI PO SAID THAT THE GOVERNOR'S REMARKS THAT THE CHINESE SHOULD MAKE CLEAR WHETHER ALL MEMBERS OF THE 1995 LEGCO COULD RIDE THE THROUGH TRAIN WERE TANTAMOUNT TO SETTING A
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