TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 34

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MDHIAN 9607

ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994 AND 1995 POLLS WOULD NOT BE SEPARATELY DISCUSSED.

10.

TA KUNG PAO IN A LEADING COMMENTARY CRITICISED THE GOVERNOR

FOR POSING OBSTACLES TO THE TALKS BY SAYING BEFORE THE START OF THE EIGHTH ROUND, THAT AN AGREEMENT WHICH COULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BY LEGCO WAS WORSE THAN NO AGREEMENT, THAT AN AGREEMENT ON THE 1994/95 ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS WITHOUT CATERING FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN WOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE: AND THAT HK COULD STILL SURVIVE EVEN IF NO AGREEMENT COULD BE REACHED. THE PAPER CALLED ON THE BRITISH SIDE TO ELIMINATE SUCH ''NOISE POLLUTION'' AND POINTED OUT THAT ONLY THROUGH FRIENDLY NEGOTIATION BASED ON THE ''THREE CONFORMITIES'

COULD AN AGREEMENT BE REACHED ON MATTERS SUCH AS THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, ELECTION COMMITTEE AND THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY

ELECTED SEATS.

11.

THE PAPERS NOTED THAT THE NINTH ROUND OF SINO-BRITISH TALKS

WOULD LIKELY BE HELD IN AUGUST DURING THE GOVERNOR'S ABSENCE IN HK. QUOTING BRITISH SOURCES, TVB REPORTED THAT ALTHOUGH THE FIRST FIVE ROUNDS OF TALKS HAD BEEN SLUGGISH, MORE PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE IN THE LAST TWO MEETINGS. IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THERE WOULD ONLY BE

ONE ROUND OF TALKS NEXT MONTH BUT A FEW MORE ROUNDS WOULD BE HELD IN SEPTEMBER.

PATTEN

YYYY

DISTRIBUTION

72

MAIN

65

.HK POLICY

HKD

'PUSD

FED

LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT LEGAL ADVISERS//MISS BROOKS

LEGAL ADVISERS//MR GILES

NEWS D

NTCD

PLANNERS

RAD

PS

PS/MR GOODLAD SIR J COLES MR HUM

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