UNCLASSIFIED
000514
MDLIAN 8598
PRE-CONDITION FOR THE TALKS. SUCH A PRE-CONDITION COULD NEVER BE MET. THE COMMENTARY STRESSED THE POWER TO CONFIRM THE MEMBERS OF THE 1997 LEGCO RESTED WITH NO ONE OTHER THAN THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE. TWO OTHER ARTICLES IN WEN WEI AND ONE IN TA KUNG ALSO SET OUT CHINESE VIEWS ON THE THROUGH TRAIN. THEY MAINTAINED THE NEED FOR THE CONFIRMATION PROCEDURE BY THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE AND ASSERTED INSISTENCE ON A FULL-SCALE THROUGH TRAIN WAS MEANT TO ENABLE THOSE AGAINST THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO STAY IN LEGCO AFTER 1997 SO THAT BRITISH INFLUENCE COULD BE EXTENDED.
AIRPORT
+
22. IT WAS NOTED (22.4) CHINESE OFFICIALS HAD ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS REITERATED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE NEW AIRPORT. LI PENG WAS QUOTED AS SAYING TO A DB DELEGATION THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WERE IN SUPPORT OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE AIRPORT. THE PROBLEM WAS WITH FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS AND THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD SEEK TO HEAR MORE VIEWS ON THIS. HKMAO VICE DIRECTOR WANG QIREN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THE CHINESE SIDE WERE WILLING TO HAVE TALKS IF THE BRITISH SIDE COULD COME UP WITH FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WERE IN LINE WITH THE MOU. ANOTHER HKMAO OFFICIAL CHEN ZUOER SAID THE CHINESE SIDE HOPED THERE WOULD BE A NEW AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE HANDOVER. HE ALSO SAID THE SOONER TALKS COULD CONVENE, THE BETTER. MR. CHEN HOWEVER SAID THE BALL WAS IN BRITAIN'S COURT. CPPCC CHAIRMAN LI RUIHUAN TOLD A HK BUSINESS DELEGATION THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT NOT TO LINK THE AIRPORT QUESTION WITH THE
CURRENT DISPUTE.
REFERENDUM
23. REPORTS NOTED (22.4) LEGCO VOTED 29 TO 18 AGAINST SZETO WAH'S
MOTION URGING A REFERENDUM ON THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS.
LAND COMMISSION
24. MING PAO (21.4) QUOTED A PERSON WELL VERSED IN CHINA'S AFFAIRS AS SAYING UNLESS THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES TURNED SOUR AT THE COMING ROUND OF TALKS N HK'S POLITICAL REFORMS, THERE WAS HOPE THE LAND COMMISSION WOULD MEET AGAIN AT THE END OF THE MONTH OR EARLY NEXT MONTH.
SINO-BRITISH TRADE TIES
25. A VICE MINISTER OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN TRADE AND ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION, JU YONGJIANG, SAID IN CANTON (16.4) THAT SINO- BRITISH AND SINO-HK TRADE TIES HAD NOT YET BEEN AFFECTED BY THE POLITICAL ROW. TRADE ACTIVITIES WERE STILL PROCEEDING ON THE BASIS OF EQUALITY AND MUTUAL BENEFIT. HE BELIEVED THAT THE RE-
2
PAGE UNCLASSIFIED
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