TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 40

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MDLIAN 6283

4.

THE PAPERS (15.7) REPORTED IN GOOD COVERAGE THE HOUSE OF COMMONS FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE HEARING. MR GOODLAD WAS QUOTED AS SAYING PROGRESS WAS SLOW AT THE NEGOTIATIONS BUT THE BRITISH SIDE WERE COMMITTED TO PRESSING AHEAD WITH THE TALKS AND NO DEADLINE WAS SET. SING TAO DAILY REPORTED THE SECRETARY OF STATE AS TELLING THE PARLIAMENT HE HAD URGED THE CHINESE SIDE TO SPEED UP PROGRESS AT THE TALKS AND HAD STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WERE OPEN, FAIR AND ACCEPTABLE TO HONG KONG PEOPLE. FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS WOULD CONCENTRATE ON THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, THE ELECTION COMMITTEE AND THE THROUGH TRAIN.

5. THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL (15.7) LEARNED THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD ASK THE CHINESE SIDE TO GIVE MORE TANGIBLE CRITERIA FOR THE

'THROUGH TRAIN' AT THE NEXT ROUND. THE PAPER HOWEVER QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES AS SAYING THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD ONLY CONSIDER SUGGESTING TO THE NPC/SC TO COME UP WITH SOME CRITERIA BEFORE THE 1995 ELECTIONS. SUCH CRITERIA WOULD NOT BE TOO DETAILED, NOR WOULD THEY BE INCLUDED IN ANY AGREEMENT THAT MIGHT BE REACHED BETWEEN BOTH SIDES IN THE TALKS AS SOVEREIGNTY WAS AT ISSUE.

6.

QUOTING INFORMED SOURCES, SCMP REPORTED (15.7) CHINA WOULD AGREE TO INTRODUCE MORE ELECTED ELEMENTS IN THE ELECTION COMMITTEE PROVIDED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE ACCEPTED THE COMMITTEE SHOULD BE MADE UP OF THE FOUR SECTORS AS STIPULATED IN THE BL.

7.

A PROMINENT COMMENTARY IN THE WEN WEI PO (15.7) CONSIDERED THERE WERE 'ONE PREREQUISITE, THREE CONDITIONS AND ONE PROCEDURE' FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN. THE ONE PREREQUISITE' WAS THE FORMATION OF THE 1995 LEGCO SHOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE RELEVANT BL REQUIREMENTS ON THE FORMATION OF THE FIRST SAR LEGISLATURE. THE THREE CONDITIONS WERE UPHOLDING THE BL: SWEARING ALLEGIANCE TO THE HKSAR: AND SATISFYING THE NATIONALITY RESTRICTIONS AS STIPULATED IN THE BL AND THE ONE PROCEDURE WAS THAT LEGISLATORS HAD TO BE CONFIRMED BY THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE. THE COMMENTARY FURTHER ELABORATED ON THE CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING WHETHER A LEGISLATOR WAS

'UPHOLDING THE BL': (A) THE PERSON SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN ACTIVITIES WHICH SOUGHT TO DIVIDE OR TOPPLE THE PRC AND THE SOCIALIST SYSTEM ADOPTED IN THE MAINLAND: (B) THE PERSON SHOULD SUPPORT AND RESPECT ALL PROVISIONS IN THE BL (NOT THOSE CALLING FOR AMENDMENTS TO THE BL BEFORE 1997 AND THOSE WHO BURNT COPIES OF THE BL): AND (C) THE PERSON SHOULD DEMONSTRATE THROUGH CONCRETE ACTIONS HIS EFFORTS IN ENSURING CONVERGENCE WITH THE BL DURING THE

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