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066060 MDLIAN 930
POINT OF PRINCIPLE. THE GOVERNOR'S DECISION WAS FULLY SUPPORTED BY THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY. THE FOREIGN SECRETARY WAS QUOTED AS TELLING THE HOUSE OF COMMONS THAT BRITAIN WOULD CONTINUE TO PURSUE STEADILY THE PATH OF CO-OPERATION WITH CHINA AND LOOKED TO THE CHINESE SIDE TO DO THE SAME. MR HURD NOTED THE KEY POINT WAS THAT ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS SHOULD BE FAIR, OPEN AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HK.
17. QUOTING SOURCES, (16.3) SING TAO DAILY REPORTED SENIOR CHINESE LEADERS WOULD MEET ALL HK AND MACAU NPC AND CPPCC DELEGATES WHO WERE ATTENDING THE NPC AND CPPCC MEETINGS IN PEKING. THE REPORT NOTED SINCE THE GOVERNOR MADE KNOWN HIS POLITICAL PACKAGE, HK ISSUES HAD BEEN UPGRAGED TO DIPLOMATIC LEVEL AND WERE HANDLED BY THE FOREIGN MINISTRY WHICH REPORTED TO PREMIER LI PENG. MANY PAPERS NOTED IN A JOINT STATEMENT, HK AND MACAU NPC DEPUTIES CRITICISED THE GOVERNOR FOR IGNORING HK PEOPLE'S VIEWS AND DESTROYING SINO-BRITISH CO-OPERATION. THEY SUPPORTED THE REMARKS ON HK MADE BY PREMIER LI PENG IN HIS WORK REPORT AND SUGGESTED THE CHINESE SIDE SHOULD ADOPT ALL NECESSARY MEASURES TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION. THE UNITED DAILY NOTED ONE OF THE NPC MEMBER LIU YIU CHU FELT MR LI'S REPORT ON HK WAS RETROGRESSIVE AS IT DID NOT SPELL OUT ANY CONCRETE MEASURES.
JLG/LAND COMMISSION
*
THE EXPRESS (16.3) UNDERSTOOD IN VIEW OF THE CURRENT DISPUTE, THE CHINESE SIDE HAD DECIDED TO TEMPORARILY SUSPEND DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BRITISH SIDE ON HK MATTERS. QUOTING SOURCES, THE REPORT SAID THE FIRST TO BE AFFECTED WOULD BE THE JLG AND LAND COMMISSION. AS A GESTURE THESE CONTRACTS WOULD BE POSTPONED INDEFINITELY.
ALAISTAIR GOODLAD
19. THE PAPERS NOTED (13.3) FCO MINISTER WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HK, ALAISTAIR GOODLAD, HAD WRITTEN TO THE ADPL A SECOND TIME CLARIFYING HIS EARLIER REMARKS ON BRITAIN'S INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS. MR GOODLAD SAID THESE REFERRED TO THE JD AND THE INTERNATIONAL CHARTER ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS AND DID NOT INCLUDE ANY FUTURE AGREEMENTS ON ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS.
SURVEYS
20. FINDINGS OF A TVB COMMISSIONED POLL (12.3) COVERING 565 INTERVIEWEES SHOWED 40 PERCENT WERE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT RESULTS OF THE RESUMPTION OF TALKS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN ON HK'S
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