TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 30

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FM HONG KONG

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IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1208

OF 220715Z JULY 93

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HKB 301/2

RECEIVED IN SEGISTRY

03 AUD 1995

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

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MDHIAN 693

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INFO PRIORITY PEKING UKREP LG HONG KONG

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORTS 22 JULY 1993.

TALKS.

1. THE PAPERS ACCORDED ROUTINE COVERAGE TO THE SECOND DAY OF

SINO-BRITISH TALKS. SIR ROBIN MCLAREN DESCRIBED THE ATMOSPHERE

AT PERFECTLY NORMAL BUT DECLINED TO COMMENT ON WHETHER PROGRESS HAD

BEEN MADE OR DIFFERENCES NARROWED. SIR ROBIN FURTHER SAID THAT

CHINA HAD ITS OWN WAY OF HANDLING ISSUES BUT BOTH SIDES SHARED COMMON GROUND ON THE KEY ISSUES UNDER DISCUSSION. HE SAID THAT A

JOINT STATEMENT WOULD BE RELEASED TODAY ANNOUNCING THE DATE OF THE NEXT ROUND OF TALKS.

2.

QUOTING BRITISH SOURCES, COMMERCIAL RADIO REPORTED THAT BOTH SIDES HAD ENGAGED IN IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS IN THE TALKS. SING

PAO ALSO LEARNT THAT BOTH SIDES HAD ENTERED INTO DETAILED DISCUSSION ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. AS REGARDS THE THROUGH TRAIN, THE PAPER QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES AS SAYING THAT THE CRITERIA HAD TO BE DECIDED BY THE SARPC IN 1996 BUT

THE BRITISH SIDE COULD SET OUT THEIR VIEWS DURING THE TALKS.

3. ATV REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD ADOPTED A DIFFERENT

ATTITUDE IN THE TALKS FOLLOWING THE MEETING BETWEEN THE TWO FOREIGN MINISTERS. PROGRESS WAS LIKELY AND MORE FREQUENT MEETINGS WOULD BE NECESSARY. COMMERCIAL RADIO ALSO REPORTED THAT THERE WOULD BE A THREE-WEEK BREAK BETWEEN THE EIGHTH AND NINTH ROUND OF TALKS.

4.

SCA WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT EVEN IF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 94/95 ELECTIONS WERE AGREED BY THE TWO SIDES BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, THE EARLIEST THE ELECTORAL LEGISLATION COULD BE PUT TO LEGCO WOULD BE JANUARY/FEBRUARY NEXT YEAR.

5.

UNITED DAILY NEWS REPORTED THAT THE EIGHTH ROUND OF TALKS WAS VERY IMPORTANT AS S OF S HAD INDICATED THAT THIS ROUND WOULD FOCUS ON CONCRETE DETAILS AND NOT ON PROBLEMS OF PRINCIPLES. THE PAPER CONSIDERED THAT IF THERE WERE NO PROGRESS IN THIS ROUND,

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