TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 32

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Action Taken

TELNO 1200

OF 211043Z JULY 93

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP

HONG KONG

pa Press Rondays

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075202

MDHIAN 9607

69

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORTS (21 JULY 1993)

TALKS

1. THE PAPERS GAVE PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THE FIRST DAY OF MEETING OF THE EIGHT ROUND OF THE TALKS. MOST REPORTS HIGHLIGHTED SIR ROBIN MCLAREN'S REMARKS THAT THE TALKS HAD ENTERED A NEW PHASE IN THAT THE TWO FOREIGN MINISTERS HAD GIVEN SOME USEFUL GUIDELINES TO ENABLE THE TALKS TO CONCENTRATE ON MORE CONCRETE ISSUES. HIS DESCRIBING THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE FIRST DAY OF THE TALKS AS 'FINE'

WAS ALSO WIDELY NOTED.

2.

JIANG ENZHU DECLINED TO COMMENT ON WHETHER AN AGREEMENT WOULD BE REACHED BEFORE THE GOVERNOR'S SECOND POLICY ADDRESS ON 6 OCTOBER. JIANG SAID THAT SO LONG AS THE TWO SIDES COULD STICK TO THE THREE CONFORMITIES THERE SHOULD BE NO DIFFERENCES THAT COULD NOT BE NARROWED OR DIFFICULTIES THAT WERE INSURMOUNTABLE. COMMENTING ON HIS REMARKS MADE AT AN SARPC PWC MEETING LAST WEEK, JIANG SAID THAT HE HAD ONLY MADE CLEAR THE CHINESE STAND ON THE QUESTION OF THE SAR LEGISLATURE IN 2007 AND HAD NOT DISCLOSED THE CONTENTS OF THE TALKS. JIANG ALSO CLARIFIED THAT HE HAD NEVER SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE ''ABSOLUTELY NO CONCESSIONS'' ON FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, THE ELECTION COMMITTEE AND THE THROUGH TRAIN.

3. NCNA HK BRANCH DEPUTY DIRECTOR ZHU YUCHENG WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT IT WOULD NOT BE DIFFICULT TO SOLVE CONCRETE PROBLEMS RELATING TO THE ELECTION COMMITTEE AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AS MAJOR PRINCIPLES HAD ALREADY BEEN LAID DOWN IN THE BASIC LAW AND THE DIPLOMATIC EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. THE THROUGH TRAIN WAS, HOWEVER, A MATTER FOR THE SARPC.

4.

ACCORDING TO THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY ON THE NINE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. AS LONG AS THE NEW CONSTITUENCIES WERE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO PROFESSIONS, WHICH ONE OF THEM WAS TO BE INCLUDED WAS NEGOTIABLE. ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE THE CHINESE

MAN, ONE VOTE'' SYSTEM FOR CERTAIN

SIDE MIGHT ACCEPT A ''ONE

1

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