TNAG-2771-FCO40-3988-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 53

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INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA

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HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE: (9.10.93

QIAN QICHEN

16.10.93)

15. REMARKS BY CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER QIAN QICHEN AT A MEETING WITH THE LIBERAL PARTY WERE WIDELY NOTED (12.10). QIAN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT WHEN HE MET THE SECRETARY OF STATE EARLIER THIS MONTH, HE HAD PROPOSED THE 1994 AND 1995 ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS BE DISCUSSED SEPARATELY. HOWEVER THE BRITISH SIDE HAD REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE PROPOSAL. QIAN REPEATED THE WARNING THAT IF NO AGREEMENT WAS REACHED IN THE TALKS, THE TERM OF LEGISLATORS RETURNED IN 1995 WOULD ONLY LAST UNTIL JUNE 1997. QIAN WAS ALSO QUOTED AS SAYING THE CHINESE WOULD CONSIDER OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN, BUT HE DID NOT ELABORATE ON WHETHER THIS WOULD BE COVERED IN THE TALKS.

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16. THE PAPERS NOTED (15.10) QIAN QICHEN TOLD A VISITING URBCO DELEGATION IN PEKING THAT IF NO AGREEMENT WAS REACHED, ALL DB, MUNICIPAL COUNCIL AND LEGCO MEMBERS ELECTED IN THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS WOULD HAVE TO STEP DOWN AND COULD NOT BOARD THE THROUGH TRAIN' TO STRADDLE 1997. HOWEVER, IF AN AGREEMENT WAS REACHED, BOTH DB AND MUNICIPAL COUNCIL MEMBERS COULD TAKE THE THROUGH TRAIN, AND THERE WAS NO NEED FOR THEM TO BE APPROVED BY THE SAR PC AS IN THE CASE OF LEGCO MEMBERS.

LU PING

17. THE PAPERS REPORTED PROMINENTLY (13.10) HKMAO DIRECTOR LU PING'S REMARKS TO THE VISITING LIBERAL PARTY DELEGATION IN PEKING. LU WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE COMPROMISED PACKAGE AS STATED IN THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS WAS NOT A CONCESSION BECAUSE IT WAS BASED ON THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WHICH CONTRAVENED THE THREE PRINCIPLES. THE CHINESE SIDE THEREFORE COULD NOT ACCEPT IT. THE SITUATION WAS LIKE SOMEONE MAKING A FALSE START IN A RACE AND MOVED 10 STEPS FORWARD

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