TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 305

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MODERATION AND REASON.

4.

SOME PAPERS REPORTED (17.3) WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN LAST THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WHICH LET TO THE GAZETTAL OF THE REFORM BILL. BRITISH SOURCES WERE QUOTED AS INDICATING THE CHINESE RESPONSE LAST FRIDAY HAD GONE BACK ON THEIR POSITION ON THE STATUS OF HKG OFFICIALS IN THE TALKS AND REITERATED HKG OFFICIALS SHOULD BE LISTED AS ADVISERS. IN ADDITION, THE CHINESE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE DATES FOR TALKS. THESE FAILED TO ACHIEVE THE BOTTOMLINE SET BY EXCO. THEREFORE THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO GO AHEAD TO GAZETTE THE BILL.

5. IN A JOINT STATEMENT, HK AND MACAU CPPCC DELEGATES SUPPORTED PREMIER LI PENG'S STAND AND CRITICISED THE GOVERNOR FOR DAMAGING SINO-BRITISH CO-OPERATION AND UNDERMINING HK'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY. THEY SAID IF BRITAIN DID NOT RETURN TO THE RIGHT TRACK, CHINA HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ADOPT MEASURES TO IMPLEMENT THE ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS' CONCEPT AND PROTECT THE WELL BEING OF HK PEOPLE.

LI LANQING'S REMARKS ON SINO-BRITISH TRADE

6.

THE CHINESE FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND TRADE MINISTER, LI LANQING, SAID (19.3) AS POINTED OUT BY PREMIER LI PENG IN HIS WORK REPORT TO THE NPC, THE PRESENT SITUATION WAS CREATED BY THE BRITISH SIDE. THE BRITISH SIDE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES, AND THESE INCLUDED TRADE BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN. SCMP NOTED A SPOKESMAN OF THE BRITISH EMBASSY SAID IT WAS A SURPRISING STATEMENT WHICH THEY WOULD HAVE TO STUDY CAREFULLY. A FCO STATEMENT SAID IT WOULD BE REGRETTABLE IF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES ALLOWED DIFFERENCES OVER HK TO AFFECT BROADER RELATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA. THE BRITISH SIDE WERE READY FOR TALKS WITH THE CHINESE OVER HK AT ANY TIME. COMMERCIAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS SHOULD BE DECIDED ON THEIR MERITS.

LU PING'S PRESS CONFERENCE ON HK

7.

ALL PAPERS GAVE EXTENSIVE COVERAGE (18.3) TO LU PING'S PRESS CONFERENCE IN PEKING. MR LU HAD DESCRIBED THE GOVERNOR AS ''A MAN OF GUILT'' IN THE HISTORY OF HK AND ACCUSED HIM FOR DELIBERATELY UNDERMINING THE TALKS. ALSO NOTED WERE MR LU'S REMARKS THAT SHOULD THE BRITISH SIDE REFUSE TO CO-OPERATE THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD HAVE TO SET UP ANOTHER KITCHEN IN ACCORDANCE TO THE BL. MR LU SAID THIS WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE THE KITCHEN STARTED BY THE GOVERNOR WOULD NOT CONVERGE WITH THE BL AFTER 1997. MR LU GAVE THE CHINESE VERSION OF THE CHAIN OF EVENTS

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