TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 322

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066060

MDLIAN 0930

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FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 422

OF 161049Z MARCH 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 TWO OF TWO

HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE:

(13.3 16.3)

15. MANY PAPERS (16.3) PICKED UP A CNS SIGNED COMMENTARY SAYING THE UNPRECEDENTED HARSH ATTACKS BY LI PENG IN HIS WORK REPORT TO THE NPC REFLECTED THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE HK QUESTION. IF THE BRITISH SIDE IGNORED THE CRITICISMS AND DID NOT CHANGE ITS COURSE AND GO BACK TO THE RIGHT TRACK, THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE VERY SERIOUS. SOME PAPERS CARRIED A SIGNED COMMENTARY BY THE CNS WHICH SPELLED OUT REASONS FOR NOT ALLOWING HKG OFFICIALS TO TAKE PART IN THE TALKS. THE COMMENTARY SAID CHINA HAD CONSISTENTLY OPPOSED HKG OFFICIALS PARTICIPATING IN SINO-BRITISH TALKS. HOWEVER, CHINA HAD ALLOWED HK OFFICIALS TO TAKE PART IN JLG NEGOTIATIONS IN THE PAST BECAUSE OF FRIENDLY SINO-BRITISH CO- OPERATION OVER HK SINCE THE SIGNING OF THE JD. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD THEREFORE TEMPORARILY PUT ASIDE THIS DIFFERENCE. THIS DID NOT MEAN THE CHINES HAD GIVEN UP THEIR PRINCIPLE. THE BRITISH SIDE HOWEVER HAD DESTROYED THE BASIS FOR CO-OPERATION BY PUTTING FORWARD A ''THREE VIOLATIONS'' PACKAGE. UNDER SUCH

CIRCUMSTANCES, WHEN THE BRITISH SIDE PROPOSED TALKS, THE CHINESE HAD REASONS TO REQUEST THE BRITISH SIDE TO INDICATE SINCERITY AND TAKE CONCRETE ACTIONS AND THEY SHOULD NOT CREATE THE ''THREE LEGGED STOOL'' SITUATION. THE CHINESE SIDE COULD NOT ALLOW HKG OFFICIALS TO BECOME FORMAL MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH TEAM.

16. SOME PAPERS (16.3) QUOTED A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN AS SAYING THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT SET A DATE FOR TABLING THE BILL INTO LEGCO BUT THIS COULD NOT BE DEFERRED INDEFINITELY. THE BRITISH SIDE STILL HOPED TO HAVE TALKS WITHOUT PRE-CONDITIONS. THE SPOKESMAN SAID HK OFFICIALS HAD ALL ALONG BEEN PART OF THE BRITISH TEAM IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CHINESE SIDE AND THEY WERE PUZZLED WHY THE CHINESE SIDE COULD NOT ACCEPT THE ARRANGEMENT THIS TIME. THE SPOKESMAN SAID APPROPRIATE HK PARTICIPATION WAS AN IMPORTANT

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