TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 93

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GOVERNOR'S INSISTENCE ON HIS POLITICAL PACKAGE WAS A PLOT TO FORCE THE CHINESE SIDE TO COME UP WITH COUNTER PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD THEN BE LEAKED TO LEGCO'S CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PANEL. THE PANEL WOULD REJECT THEM AND THIS WOULD ENABLE THE BRITISH SIDE TO START BARGAINING WITH THẸ CHINESE SIDE AGAIN. THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL WOULD BE GIVEN UP BUT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD BE FORCED TO

INCORPORATE THREE THINGS INTO THEIR PROPOSALS: AN UNCONDITIONAL THROUGH TRAIN, BRITISH PARTICIPATION IN THE SARPC, AND CHINESE COMMITMENT TO FULL DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 2007. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDED

THAT THIS WAS A CLEAR ATTEMPT BY BRITAIN TO EXTEND ITS RULE IN HK

BEYOND 1997.

10. A FEW PAPERS WERE HOWEVER MORE POSITIVE ABOUT THE EIGHTH ROUND. THE EXPRESS, QUOTING SOURCES, STATED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE MIGHT GIVE TACIT AGREEMENT TO THE PUBLICATION OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE

1994 ELECTIONS IN ADVANCE OF AN OVERALL AGREEMENT. THE PAPER HOWEVER UNDERSTOOD THAT THE BRITISH SIDE STILL HOPED TO SORT OUT ARRANGEMENTS FOR BOTH THE 1994 AND 1995 ELECTIONS TOGETHER.

11. THE UNITED DAILY, A LEFT-WING PAPER, QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES AS SAYING THAT THERE WOULD BE GOOD RESULTS IN THE EIGHTH ROUND OF TALKS. THE SOURCES ALSO SAID THAT THE ECONOMIC PROBLEMS THAT CHINA HAD RECENTLY ENCOUNTERED WOULD NOT AFFECT HONG KONG ISSUES.

AIRPORT

12. QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL REPORTED THAT OFFICIALS OF THE MFA AND THE HKMAO HAD HELD MANY MEETINGS WITH GUO FENGMIN AND LUO JIAHUAN TO WORK OUT THE CHINESE SIDE'S LATEST STAND ON THE AIRPORT FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS. THE WORK OF THE JLG WAS ALSO REVIEWED. SUN YANHENG OF THE LAND COMMISSION WAS ALSO REPORTED TO

BE INVOLVED IN THE DISCUSSIONS.

13. ACCORDING TO THE SOURCES, THE GAP BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES ON THE AIRPORT FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS HAD BEEN NARROWED SUBSTANTIALLY AFTER THREE AIRPORT COMMITTEE MEETINGS, THE CHINESE SIDE EXPECTED THE MINISTERIAL MEETING WOULD HELP CLEAR THE REMAINING OBSTACLES. SHOULD THE MEETING GO WELL, A FOURTH ROUND OF AC WOULD BE HELD SHORTLY AFTER GUO'S RETURN TO HONG KONG WITH A VIEW TO REACHING AN OVERALL AGREEMENT ON THE FINANCIAL PACKAGE. THE PAPER ALSO UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CHINESE SIDE NOW CONSIDERED THE USE OF THE LAND FUND, IN THE FORM OF INVESTMENT AND THE PURCHASE OF BONDS ISSUED BY THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY TO REDUCE LIABILITY, A POSSIBLE OPTION. THE SOURCES HOWEVER WARNED THAT THE AIRPORT TALKS MIGHT BE AFFECTED IF

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