TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 358

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MDLIAN 97

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CONTINUATION OF ITS STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. THIS WAS SOMETHING CHINA AND HK PEOPLE WERE RELUCTANT TO SEE.

4. REPORTS NOTED (28.1) ZHOU NAN, IN AN INTERVIEW WITH PRO-PEKING ''MIRROR MONTHLY'' SAID THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD NOT ACCEPT ANY AMENDMENTS BASED ON THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS. TO REVIVE CO-OPERATION, THE BRITISH SIDE HAD TO GO BACK TO THE TRACK OF THE JD, BL AND PREVIOUS SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENTS. MR ZHOU REFERRED TO DENG'S REMARKS THAT CHINA WOULD NOT GIVE WAY EVEN AN INCH ON QUESTIONS CONCERNING SOVEREIGNTY. SOME PEOPLE HAD ADVOCATED BOTH SIDES SHOULD MAKE CONCESSIONS. MR ZHOU SAID THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE AND THAT THE JD, BL AND PREVIOUS SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENTS SHOULD BE STRICTLY ADHERED TO. MR ZHOU SAID IF THE BRITISH ''SO CALLED PROPOSALS WERE TO TEST CHINA'S RESOLVE ON QUESTIONS OF PRINCIPLE, THEN THE BRITISH SIDE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE CLEARLY NOW. MR ZHOU SAID HE BELIEVED THE BRITISH SHOULD BE CLEVER ENOUGH TO FIND A LADDER TO CLIMB DOWN IF THEY HAD THE DETERMINATION TO CHANGE THEIR COURSE.

5. PAPERS NOTED (28.1) THE FOREIGN SECRETARY MET INDEPENDENT LEGISLATORS LEONG CHE HUNG, EMILY LAU AND CHRISTINE LOH IN LONDON AND EXCHANGED VIEWS ON HK'S POLITICAL CHANGES AND NATIONALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS FOR HK PEOPLE. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL REPORTED MR HURD HAD TOLD THE THREE LEGISLATORS THE BRITISH SIDE HAD CONFIDENCE THEY COULD RESUME TALKS WITH THE CHINESE SIDE ON HK'S POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT BUT DECLINED TO GO INTO DETAILS. CHRISTINE LOH QUOTED MR HURD AS SAYING THAT SHOULD LEGCO VOTE FOR SOMETHING WHICH WAS MORE DEMOCRATIC THAN THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE, BRITAIN WOULD BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT IT PROVIDED IT WAS IN LINE WITH BRITAIN'S INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS IN THE JD.

CONTAINER TERMINAL 9

6. THE PAPERS NOTED (28.1) A DESPATCH BY THE CHINA NEWS SERVICE QUOTING COMMENTS ON CT9 BY AN UN-NAMED HKMAO OFFICIAL. THE OFFICIAL CLAIMED EARLIER REMARKS BY SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES ANSON CHAN THAT CT9 DID NOT INVOLVE THE QUESTION OF FRANCHISES WAS A DELIBERATE MOVE TO MISLEAD INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS. HE CLAIMED ACCORDING TO THE JD AND BL, IF THE BRITISH HKG WANTED CONTRACTS STRADDLING 1997 TO REMAIN VALID AFTER 1997, PRIOR CONSULTATIONS WITH THE CHINESE SIDE WERE REQUIRED. THE QUESTION OF FRANCHISES APPLIED TO CT9 BECAUSE ONLY THE DEVELOPER AWARDED THE CONTRACT WOULD HAVE THE OPERATION RIGHTS TO THE CONTAINER PORT. THE LAND COMMISSION PERMISSION ON THE LAND GRANT DID NOT MEAN THE CHINESE SIDE HAD AGREED THAT OPERATION RIGHTS

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