TNAG-2771-FCO40-3988-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 113

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MDLIAN 1237

THAT CHINA WOULD ABIDE BY THE JD UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. MING PAO HOWEVER QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES AS EXPLAINING THAT JIANG'S REMARKS WERE VALID ON CONDITION THE JD WAS STILL IN EFFECT. THE QUESTION OF OBSERVING THE JD WOULD NO LONGER EXIST IF THE JD WAS UNDERMINED.

3. PAPERS QUOTED A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN AS SAYING THAT THE REMARKS ATTRIBUTED TO DENG WERE MADE BEFORE THE SIGNING OF THE JD. UNDER THE TERMS OF THE JD, CHINA WOULD RESUME SOVEREIGNTY ON 1 JULY 1997. BEFORE THEN, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HK.

(a Navy Vice Diretor

4. ON THE CURRENT TALKS, QIN WAS QUOTED AS MAKING THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

THE COMPOSITION OF THE ELECTION COMMITTEE HAD BEEN STIPULATED IN THE BL AND AGREEMENT HAD ALREADY BEEN REACHED IN THE DIPLOMATIC EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE TWO FOREIGN MINISTERS. THIS COULD NOT BE RE- NEGOTIATED.

- BOTH SIDES HAD AGREED THAT THERE SHOULD BE 20 DIRECTLY ELECTED LEGCO SEATS IN 1995. THE BRITISH SIDE COULD NOT INCREASE THE

NUMBER IN DISGUISE AND THE SUBJECT COULD NOT BE RE-NEGOTIATED.

THE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES COULD BE DISCUSSED AS NO AGREEMENT HAD BEEN REACHED BY THE TWO SIDES, BUT MEMBERS MUST BE RETURNED THROUGH INDIRECT ELECTIONS.

THE BL STIPULATED THAT NO MORE THAN 20 PERCENT OF THE LEGCO MEMBERS IN 1997 COULD BE FOREIGN PASSPORTS HOLDERS. THIS NATIONALITY RESTRICTION MUST BE IMPLEMENTED. OTHERWISE THERE COULD BE NO THROUGH TRAIN.

- ON ABOLITION OF APPOINTED SEATS IN THE DB, THERE HAD BEEN NO PREVIOUS AGREEMENT, BUT THE DB APPOINTED SEATS SHOULD NOT BE ABOLISHED IN VIEW OF THE STRONG OBJECTION FROM DB MEMBERS.

NO AGREEMENT HAD BEEN REACHED ON TECHNICAL MATTERS SUCH AS BOUNDARY DEMARCATION, VOTING AGE AND METHOD OF VOTING. THESE COULD THEREFORE BE DISCUSSED.

THE CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN WERE CLEARLY STIPULATED IN THE BL AND THIS SHOULD PROCEED ACCORDING TO THE DECISION OF THE NPC.

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