TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 272

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OPENING OF TALKS WOULD BE CONDUCIVE TO SINO-BRITISH TRADE.

UDHK

26. PAPERS WIDELY REPORTED (20.4) UDHK HAD FOR THE FIRST TIME WRITTEN TO NCNA HK SEEKING A MEETING WITH DIRECTOR ZHOU NAN BEFORE THE TALKS TO DISCUSS MATTERS CONCERNING 1994/95 ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS AND TRANSITIONAL MATTERS. ZHANG JUNSHENG OF NCNA SAID (21.4) MR ZHOU WOULD NOT MEET UDHK AS THE PARTY HAD NOT 'THOROUGHLY CHANGED ITS STANCE'. HE SAID SUCH A MEETING WOULD NOT BE USEFUL AND DESCRIBED THE PARTY'S MOVE TO BE POLITICALLY MOTIVATE4D AND LACKING SINCERITY.

DAB'S PROPOSALS FOR 1994/95 ELECTIONS

27. DAB ANNOUNCED (19.4) ITS PROPOSALS FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS. IT PROPOSED 20 DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS FOR 1995 TO BE RETURNED BY PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION WHICH WOULD DIVIDE THE TERRITORY INTO FIVE FOUR-SEAT CONSTITUENCIES. THE NINE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES SHOULD BE DRAWN UP ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLES IN THE 1984 AND 1988 WHITE PAPERS. ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, DAB SUGGESTED A COMMITTEE OF 400 MEMBERS FROM FOUR GROUPS: BUSINESS AND FINANCE: PROFESSIONALS: LABOUR, GRASSROOTS AND RELIGIOUS SECTOR AND POLITICAL GROUPS AND NPC/CPPCC DELEGATES. DAB PROPOSED THAT THE APPOINTED SEATS IN UC, RC AND BDS SHOULD BE ABOLISHED ONLY GRADUALLY. THE VOTING AGE SHOULD BE LOWERED TO 18. ANOTHER PROPOSAL WAS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF NON-CHINESE LEGISLATORS SHOULD NOT EXCEED 20 PERCENT OF ALL LEGCO SEATS. DAB SAID THE PROPOSALS HAD BEEN FORWARDED TO BOTH THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS.

SURVEYS

28. THE FINDINGS OF AN OPINION POLL CONDUCTED BY THE HKU SOCIAL SCIENCES RESEARCH CENTRE WAS WIDELY REPORTED 46 PERCENT OF 541 RESPONDENTS WERE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE PROSPECTS OF THE FORTHCOMING TALKS. 60 PERCENT FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT AN AGREEMENT COULD BE REACHED ON THE THROUGH TRAIN ARRANGEMENT. ABOUT 40 PERCENT WERE AGAINST THE TABLING OF THE REFORM BILL IN LEGCO DURING THE TALKS. THE GOVERNOR SCORED 55.5 MARKS OUT OF 100.

29. SING TAO DAILY PUBLISHED (21.4) THE RESULTS OF A POLL COMMISSIONED BY THE PAPER. OVER 70 PERCENT OF THE 632 RESPONDENTS FELT THAT IF CHINA AND BRITAIN COULD REACH AN AGREEMENT AT THE TALKS, THE AGREEMENT SHOULD BE TABLED IN LEGCO FOR ITS ACCEPTANCE. OVER 70 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS SUPPORTED THE NEED FOR A THROUGH TRAIN. 55 PERCENT REGARDED AN AGREEMENT WAS POSSIBLE IN THE FORTHCOMING TALKS. IF NO AGREEMENT WAS REACHED BY

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