TNAG-2771-FCO40-3988-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 41

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MDLIAN 5371

TALKS, HK'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING THE NEW AIRPORT AND THE CT9 PROJECT WOULD BE AFFECTED.

5. HKMAO VICE DIRECTOR WANG QIREN SAID (18.10) IN SHENZHEN THE CHINESE ATTITUDE WAS VERY CLEAR AND THE TALKS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE "THREE CONFORMITIES".

6. A BYLINED CNA COMMENTARY (20.10) SAID THE GOVERNOR'S AGREEMENT TO SPLIT THE TALKS ON THE 1994 AND 1995 ELECTIONS BUT AT THE SAME TIME SETTING THREE "PRE-CONDITIONS" INDICATED THE GOVERNOR WAS STILL STUBBORNLY CLING TO HIS "THREE VIOLATIONS" PACKAGE AND CONTINUED TO CREATE OBSTACLES. THE ARTICLE CLAIMED THE GOVERNOR WAS NOT THE BRITISH NEGOTIATOR AND HAD NO RIGHT TO SET CONDITIONS OR A DEADLINE.

7. SING TAO QUOTED (20.100 CHINESE SOURCES CLOSE TO THE TALKS AS SAYING IF THE BRITISH SIDE SUGGESTED AT THE 14TH ROUND TO FIRST DISCUSS THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE '94 ELECTIONS WITHOUT ANY PRE-CONDITIONS, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD RESPOND POSITIVELY. THE SOURCES POINTED OUT IF THE BRITISH SIDE INSISTED ON USING THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE AS THE BASIS FOR DISCUSSIONS, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD VIEW IT AS A "PETTY TRICK" AND WOULD NOT COOPERATE. AS FAR AS THE THREE ISSUES CONCERNING THE '94 ELECTIONS, THE CHINESE SIDE HAD NO OBJECTION TO LOWERING THE VOTING AGE TO 18. HOWEVER, IT WOULD OBJECT TO THE ABOLITION OF ALL APPOINTED SEATS IN DBS AND THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS BUT THE QUESTION OF HOW MANY APPOINTED SEATS COULD BE ABOLISHED WAS NEGOTIABLE. ON THE "SINGLE SEAT, SINGLE VOTE" SYSTEM, THE CHINESE SIDE PREFERRED A "DOUBLE SEAT, SINGLE VOTE" SYSTEM BUT THERE EAS AS YET NO BOTTOM LINE: A FINAL DECISION WOULD DEPEND ON THE ACTUAL DELINEATION OF ELECTION BOUNDARIES. THE SOURCES ADDED UNLESS THERE WAS A BREAKTHROUGH IN THE TALKS, IT WAS UNLIKELY LU PING WOULD MEET THE GOVERNOR IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

8.

PROMINENT COVERAGE WAS ACCORDED TO THE 14TH ROUND OF TALKS. (21.10) THE PAPERS QUOTED SIR ROBIN MCLAREN AS SAYING THERE WAS NOW A NEED TO MOVE FROM CROSSROADS TO EXPRESSWAY WHICH LED TO AN AGREEMENT WHICH WOULD PROVIDE FOR OPEN AND FAIR ELECTIONS

ACCEPTABLE IN HK AND CHINA.

9. JIANG ENZHU WAS QUOTED AS SAYING (21.10) THE TWO SIDES WERE STILL AT CROSSROADS BUT AS LONG AS THE THREE CONFORMITIES WERE ADHERED TO, THEN THE TWO SIDES WOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE ONTO THE EXPRESSWAY.

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