TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 82

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MDHIAN 8484

WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO AMEND - THE JLG AGREEMENT.

TALKS

4.

SOME PAPERS QUOTED SIR ROBIN MCLAREN AS REITERATING THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PREPARATORY WORKING COMMITTEE AND ITS DISCUSSION ON CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN WOULD NOT AFFECT THE EIGHTH ROUND OF TALKS. SIR ROBIN DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE GOVERNOR'S EARLIER REMARK THAT HK WOULD ONLY HAVE ONE COUNTRY ONE SYSTEM'' IF NO ONE STOOD UP FOR ''ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS''. ADDED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE HELPFUL TO COMMENT ON WHETHER THE ELECTORAL BILLS SHOULD BE TABLED IN LEGCO FOR DISCUSSION.

5.

HE

THE LEFT-WING HK COMMERCIAL DAILY CRITICISED S OF S FOR MAKING THE REMARKS IN HK (AFTER EXCO MEETING ON 9 JULY) THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO IMPLEMENT ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS'' THE PAPER SAID THAT IT WAS INAPPROPRIATE AND IRRESPONSIBLE FOR S OF S TO HAVE MADE SUCH COMMENTS WHICH WOULD ONLY HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE POLITICAL TALKS. THE PAPER STRESSED THAT

ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS'' WOULD BE FULLY IMPLEMENTED ON THE BASIS OF THE BL.

NEW AIRPORT

6. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL ON SUNDAY QUOTED THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE LAND FUND CHUNG SHIU-MING AS SAYING THAT USING THE FUND TO PURCHASE BONDS ISSUED BY THE AA WAS NOT THE WAY TO RESOLVE THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE AIRPORT. USING THE LAND FUND TO PURCHASE SUCH BONDS WOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS HAD BEEN RESOLVED. THE EXPECTED RETURN RATE WOULD ALSO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. THE PAPER ALSO QUOTED A CHINESE AIRPORT COMMITTEE MEMBER CHEN KEQIANG AS SAYING THAT IF THE BRITISH SIDE COULD MAKE POSITIVE MOVES AT THE NEXT AC MEETING BY INCREASING THE CAPITAL INJECTION INTO THE NEW AIRPORT, HE BELIEVED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE DIFFICULT TO REACH AN AGREEMENT ON THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS.

HK AFFAIRS ADVISERS

IN

7. THE EXPRESS LEARNT THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD APPOINT THE THIRD BATCH OF HK AFFAIRS ADVISERS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. VIEW OF CRITICISMS ON THE LACK OF REPRESENTATIVENESS OF THE PREPARATORY WORKING COMMITTEE, THE THIRD BATCH OF HK AFFAIRS ADVISERS WOULD INCLUDE SOME LIBERALS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE SIDE'' AND WELL-KNOWN PERSONALITIES WHO DID NOT BELONG TO THE PRO- CHINA CAMP. QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, THE PAPER REPORTED THAT APPOINTEES WOULD INCLUDE ANTHONY CHEUNG OF MEETING POINT AND FREDERICK FUNG OF ADPL. THE PAPER UNDERSTOOD THAT NCNA OFFICIALS

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