TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 340

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 219

OF 110948Z FEBRUARY 93

UNCLASSIFIED

нае

HAS Ya/2

RECE

17 FEB, 1993

1993

*RY

IN

Q D

INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, BIS NEW YORK INFO HKGO SAN FRANCISCO, UKMIS GENEVA, HKGO GENEVA

©

154323

MDLIAN 3484

la

SECTION ONE OF TWO

-

HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE: (6.2 11-2).

SUMMARY

1. THE HK AFFAIRS ADVISERS' MEETING IN GUANGZHOU WITH LU PING AND ZHOU NAN WERE PROMINENTLY COVERED AND CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS CONTINUED TO BE FEATURED.

HK AFFAIRS ADVISERS MEETING IN GUANGZHOU

2. REPORT NOTED (6.2) HK AFFAIRS ADVISER XU SIMIN QUOTED HKMAO DIRECTOR LU PING AS SAYING AT A MEETING THAT THE SITUATION WOULD BE VERY SERIOUS IF LEGCO PASSED THE GOVERNOR'S POLITICAL REFORMS. ANOTHER ADVISER CHENG KAI NAM QUOTED MR LU AS SAYING IF THE GOVERNOR INSISTED ON HIS WAY, THEN IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN HK'S STABILITY. TO AVOID CHAOS CHINA WOULD NEED TO SET UP ANOTHER STOVE IN ACCORDANCE TO THE BL. MR CHENG STRESSED THE MAJORITY OF HK PEOPLE HOPED FOR CONVERGENCE AND TO RESOLVE THE DISPUTE VIA DISCUSSION. MR CHENG SAID HE DID NOT AGREE TO THE SETTING UP OF A POWER CENTRE BEFORE 1997. HE PROPOSED TO THE CHINESE SIDE TO EXPLAIN CLEARLY THE CONCRETE SITUATION OF SETTING UP ANOTHER STOVE TO SET HK PEOPLE'S HEARTS AT EASE. MR CHENG ALSO QUOTED NCNA DIRECTOR ZHOU NAN AS SAYING HIS PERSONAL WISH WAS FOR CONVERGENCE AND THE THROUGH TRAIN BUT IT SEEMED THERE WAS A NEED TO PREPARE FOR ALTERNATIVES. LIU YIU CHU CONSIDERED THE CHANCE FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN WAS VERY SLIM. THE CHINESE SIDE WHEN IMPLEMENTING THE BL SHOULD CONSIDER WAYS WHICH WERE MODERATE AND COULD SATISFY HK PEOPLE. THE POST NOTED FORMER BL DRAFTER SIMON LI PROPOSED A FUTURE CHIEF EXECUTIVE DESIGNATE SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED BEFORE JULY 1997 TO GIVE HIM SUFFICIENT TIME TO PREPARE FOR FRESH ELECTIONS AS SOON AS HE TOOK OVER. THESE WOULD BE IN ACCORDANCE TO THE BL AND OVERRIDE THE 1995 ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS.

1

PAGE UNCLASSIFIED