TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 308

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MDLIAN 2582

INDEPENDENT ENTITY TO CONTINUE BRITISH INFLUENCE AFTER 1997. MR ZHOU ALSO CRITICISED THE 1993/94 BUDGET AND ACCUSED THE HKG OF DEPLETING RESERVES BY PROPOSING A DEFICIT BUDGET.

13.

CHINESE VICE FOREIGN MINISTER TIAN ZEHGPEI SAID (19.3) CHINA STILL HOPED THE BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY WOULD, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AIRPORT MOU, MEET WITH THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER IN PEKING. MR TIAN SAID CHINA STILL HOPED TO SOLVE THE HK PROBLEM. REPORTS NOTED (22.3) A FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN DENIED MR TIAN HAD URGED FOR A MEETING BEFORE THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER AND THE BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY. THE SPOKESMAN INDICATED WHETHER THERE WERE TO BE TALKS DID NOT DEPEND ON CHINA. RATHER, IT WAS THE BRITISH SIDE WHO HAD DESTROYED THE BASIS FOR TALKS.

14. WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE HKG'S STEP TO INTRODUCE THE BILL TO LEGCO, A VICE DIRECTOR OF NCNA HK ZHENG GUOXIONG INDICATED (19.3) THE BRITISH HK AUTHORITIES SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES OF EVERY STEP. MR ZHENG SAID WHETHER TALKS COULD BE RESUMED WOULD DEPEND ON THE GOVERNOR WHO HAD TO INDICATE HIS SINCERITY.

15. A FEW PAPERS (19.3) CARRIED A NCNA DESPATCH FROM PEKING SAYING A SIGNED ARTICLE IN THE LATEST EDITION OF OUTLOOK WEEKLY MAGAZINE ACCUSED THE BRITISH SIDE FOR SETTING OBSTACLES TO TALKS. THE ARTICLE CLAIMED THE ULTERIOR MOTIVE OF THE BRITISH HK AUTHORITIES WAS TO DELIBERATELY RAISE THE STATUS OF LEGCO WHICH THEY CONTROLLED, AND RAISE HK'S STATUS ABOVE THAT OF THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS NOW AND IN FUTURE ABOVE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. THIS WOULD IN EFFECT MAKE HK INTO A POLITICAL ENTITY TO PROTECT BRITISH AND ECONOMIC INTERESTS AFTER 1997.

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