TNAG-2770-FCO40-3987-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 97

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MAN, ONE VOTE SYSTEM, EXCEPT FOR THE CATEGORY WHICH COMPRISED FORMER POLITICAL FIGURES AND LOCAL DELEGATES TO NPC AND CPPCC.

5. QUOTING BRITISH SOURCES, MING PAO SAID THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HOPED THAT S OF S'S VISIT WOULD SPEED UP THE WORK OF THE JLG AND THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE. ALTHOUGH S OF S WOULD NOT RAISE DETAILS OF THE FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE NEW AIRPORT, HE WOULD SEEK TO DISPEL CHINESE WORRIES THAT THE BRITISH WOULD DRAIN THE RESERVES OF THE SARG. ON THE POLITICAL FRONT, THE PAPER LEARNT THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD IN MIND A PROPOSAL ON THE THROUGH TRAIN WHICH WOULD NOT INFRINGE ON CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY. THE BRITISH SIDE ALSO HOPED THAT THE NPC/SC WOULD GIVE A CLEAR DEFINITION OF 'UPHOLDING THE BL' AS STIPULATED IN BL 104 BEFORE THE 1995 ELECTIONS.

TALKS.

6. THE PAPERS REPORTED THE GOVERNOR AS SAYING AFTER HIS RETURN FROM THE CABINET MEETING THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD RESTATED THEIR SUPPORT FOR OBJECTIVE CRITERIA TO BE SET FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN. THE GOVERNOR WAS REPORTED TO HAVE QUOTED BL 104, SAYING THAT IT SHOULD PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE AND OBJECTIVE CRITERION. PRO-CHINA LEGISLATOR TAM YIU-CHUNG SAID HOWEVER THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD MISINTERPRETED BL 104. ACCORDING TO THE BL, THE SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE WAS VESTED WITH THE POWER TO ENDORSE THE THROUGH TRAIN. ONE OF THE TASKS OF THE PREPARATORY WORKING COMMITTEE WAS IN FACT TO DISCUSS SPECIFIC CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN. SEPARATELY, PREPARATORY WORKING COMMITTEE MEMBER MARIA TAM SAID THAT VETTING OF THE THROUGH TRAIN SHOULD REST WITH THE NPC. COMMENTARIES IN THE LEFT WING PRESS LASHED OUT AT THE GOVERNOR FOR MISINTERPRETING THE BL, ECHOING THE REMARKS MADE BY MARIA TAM AND TAM YIU-CHUNG.

7.

A CNA COMMENTARY ACCUSED THE BRITISH SIDE FOR POSING OBSTACLES TO THE TALKS BY JUMPING THE GUN AND EXCEEDING THE SCOPE OF THE TALKS BY INFRINGING ON MATTERS RELATING TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY. THE COMMENTARY ASKED THE BRITISH SIDE TO SHOW SINCERITY BY RETURNING TO THE PATH OF THE THREE CONFORMITIES.

POLLS.

8.

MING PAO COMMISSIONED A TELEPHONE POLL ON 2 TO 3 JULY ON

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PREPARATORY WORKING COMMITTEE. THERE

WERE 618 RESPONDENTS. THE RESULTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

(A) CAN THE WORKING COMMITTEE PROTECT THE OVERALL INTERESTS

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