TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 357

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FM HONG KONG

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INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JEG HONG KONG

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

HONG KONG FUTURE:/PRESS COVERAGE (21.1

PRESS

SUMMARY

- 29.1).

p.a.: Media's

120136 MDLIAN 0597

1. CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS CONTINUED TO FEATURE, INCLUDING REMARKS BY LI PENG AND ZHOU NAN ON SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS AND CHINESE STANCE AND A HKMAO OFFICIAL ON CT9.

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS

2. CRC MEMBER EDWARD HO INDICATED (21.1) THAT CRC'S TRIP TO LONDON HAD ACHIEVED ITS AIM TO REFLECT HK PEOPLE'S VIEWS. REPORTS NOTED THE GROUP HAD MET THE PRIME MINISTER, THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, MR ALASTAIR GOODLAD, SIR PERCY CRADDOCK AND FORMER GOVERNORS LORD MACLEHOSE AND LORD WILSON. THE MEETING POINT ISSUED A STATEMENT THAT IT WOULD UPHOLD DEMOCRACY AND VALUE CONVERGENCE. THE STATEMENT SAID THE GROUP WOULD FIRST ADOPT THE PRINCIPLE OF DEMOCRACY AS ONE OF ITS CRITERIA BUT WOULD ALSO CONSIDER A PROPOSAL'S FEASIBILITY AND OTHER FACTORS. REPORTS ALSO NOTED TWO INDEPENDENT LEGISLATORS, ANDREW WONG AND ERIC LI, WERE PREPARED TO PUT FORWARD THEIR COUNTER PROPOSALS AFTER THE DRAFT BILLS WERE SUBMITTED TO LEGCO. MR WONG PROPOSED THE 30 FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY SEATS BE DIVIDED INTO 7 SECTORS. MR LI SUGGESTED THE ELECTION COMMITTEE SHOULD HAVE 400 MEMBERS CHOSEN FROM 4 DIFFERENT SECTORS: PROFESSIONALS, BUSINESSMEN, POLITICIANS AND GRASS-ROOT WORKERS AND THAT THE 9 NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY SEATS SHOULD BE RESTRICTED TO GROUPS SHARING SIMILAR INTERESTS. PAPERS REPORTED THE RELEASE OF A COMPENDIUM CONTAINING COUNTER PROPOSALS TO THE GOVERNORS' PACKAGE.

3. CHINESE PREMIER, LI PENG, IN AN ADDRESS TO A GATHERING IN PEKING TO MARK THE LUNAR NEW YEAR DAY, SAID THE CHINESE WISHED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD ACCORD IMPORTANCE TO SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS AND GO BACK TO THE CORRECT TRACK WHICH WAS THE ONLY WAY OUT. MR LI SAID RECENT ACTIONS BY THE BRITISH HK AUTHORITIES HAD CREATED OBSTACLES FOR A PEACEFUL TRANSITION FOR HK AND

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