TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 281

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16 APR 1993 TOP COPY

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REGISTRY

INDEX

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Action Taken DIST?

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MDLIAN 6232

12

OF 081111Z 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

PART ONE OF TWO

HONG KONG FUTURE

PRESS COVERAGE : (1.4

(1.4-8.4)

SUMMARY

1. REPORTS ON MEETING OF HK AFFAIRS ADVISERS WITH CHINESE SENIOR OFFICIALS AND LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THE NEW AIRPORT FEATURED. REMARKS BY THE GOVERNOR AND SECRETARY OF STATE AS WELL AS REACTIONS TO THESE REMARKS ALSO RECEIVED WIDE COVERAGE.

LI PENG

2.

MOST PAPERS (1.4) REPORTED LI PENG'S REMARKS AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON 31 MARCH THAT PEKING STILL HOPED FOR TALKS BUT IT WAS BRITAIN WHICH HAD SHUT THE DOOR AND THE BALL WAS NOW IN BRITAIN'S COURT. SOME PAPERS PLAYED UP HIS REMARKS THAT SINO- BRITISH ECONOMIC RELATIONS WOULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED IF THE POLITICAL ROW DETERIORATED. NCNA VICE DIRECTOR QIN WENJUN COMMENTED THAT WHILE LI'S REMARKS MIGHT APPEAR MODERATE HIS STAND REMAINED FIRM AND UNCHANGED. THE LEFT-WING PRESS NOTED LI'S REMARKS AS INFERRING THAT CHINA HAD NOT CLOSED THE DOOR OF NEGOTIATION.

3.

PRELIMINARY WORK ORGANISATION FOR THE SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE PAPERS (1.4) WIDELY REPORTED THE NPC ENDORSEMENT OF THE RESOLUTION TO AUTHORISE THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE TO SET UP A PRELIMINARY WORK ORGANISATION FOR THE SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE. NPC CHAIRMAN QIAO SHI SAID THAT SUCH A RESOLUTION WOULD BE CONDUCIVE TO A SMOOTH TRANSITION. JIANG ZEMIN SAID THAT CHINA WOULD STRICTLY ABIDE BY THE BL FOR HK AND MACAU AND WOULD STRIVE TO MAINTAIN A SMOOTH TRANSITION FOR STABILITY AND PROSPERITY FOR THE TWO PLACES. ZHOU NAN SAID THAT THE TIMING AND SCOPE OF WORK OF THE ORGANISATION WAS A MATTER FOR THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE. ON TIMING, NPC DELEGATE TSANG TAK SING SAID THAT THE ORGANISATION SHOULD BE SET UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WHEREAS ANOTHER DELEGATE

1

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