TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 367

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

HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE (6.1 - 13.1.93)

SUMMARY

1. CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS AND REMARKS BY CHINESE LEADERS ON CHINA'S APPROACH TO DEAL WITH HONG KONG CONTINUED TO FEATURE.

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS

2. THE PAPERS NOTED (6.1) NCNA HK VICE DIRECTOR ZHENG GUOXIONG REITERATED THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD MADE CLEAR THAT IT WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE GOVERNOR'S CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS AND WOULD ALSO NOT ACCEPT ANY AMENDED VERSION IN CONTRAVENTION TO THE BL PASSED BY LEGCO, A BODY WHICH HE CLAIMED WAS CONTROLLED BY THE BRITISH HK AUTHORITIES. MR ZHENG HOPED THE BRITISH HK AUTHORITIES WOULD NOT CREATE NEW PROBLEMS AND CONFRONTATION. MR ZHENG SAID THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD NEVER ACCEPT THE 'THREE-LEGGED STOOL' CONCEPT AND THEREFORE LEGCO HAD NO AUTHORITY TO AMEND AGREEMENTS REACHED BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA. MR ZHENG WARNED THE BRITISH HK AUTHORITIES THAT IT WOULD BE A WRONG ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION AND THEY WOULD MISLEAD THE PUBLIC IF THEY BELIEVED THE

CHINESE SIDE WOULD NOT IGNORE LEGCO DECISIONS. ANOTHER NCNA HK VICE DIRECTOR ZHANG JUNSHENG REITERATED THE GOVERNOR HAD FIRST TO WITHDRAW HIS PROPOSALS PRIOR TO DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY TOLD REUTERS THAT WHETHER A MEETING WOULD TAKE PLACE IN MARCH BETWEEN THE BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY AND THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER WOULD DEPEND ON THE ATTITUDE OF THE BRITISH. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE FCO SAID ACCORDING TO THE AIRPORT MOU, SUCH A MEETING SHOULD TAKE PLACE EVERY HALF YEAR AND THAT THE NEXT MEETING SHOULD BE IN MARCH: HOWEVER, THE DETAILS WERE YET TO BE WORKED OUT.

3.

TA KUNG PAO CLAIMED (6.1) THE GOVERNOR'S LATEST TACTICS COULD

BE TO MANIPULATE LEGCO TO ADOPT A 'COMPROMISED PACKAGE' BASED ON HIS PLANS AND FORCE CHINA TO ACCEPT IT. THE PAPER SAID IT WOULD COMPLICATE THE ISSUE AND CREATE NEW CONFRONTATION. IT SAID LEGCO

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