TNAG-2771-FCO40-3988-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 75

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CONSTITUENCIES, THE FORMATION OF THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, DB AND MUNICIPAL COUNCIL APPOINTED SEATS, OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN, WHETHER TO ADOPT THE 'MILTI-SEAT, SINGLE VOTE' OR THE 'SINGLE SEAT, SINGLE VOTE' SYSTEM, LOWERING OF THE VOTING AGE TO 18, FULL DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 2007, AND THE BRITISH SIDE'S PARTICIPATION IN THE SARPC'S WORK.

5. AT A MEETING WITH THE VISITING LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION DELEGATION IN PEKING, HKMAO DIRECTOR LU PING WAS QUOTED (8.9) AS SAYING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SIDES WERE OVER THE FUNCTIONAL

not EL CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS, THE THROUGH TRAIN, THE ABOLITION OF

APPOINTED DB SEATS IN 1995 AND THE 'SINGLE SEAT, SINGLE VOTE' SYSTEM IN DIRECT ELECTIONS. LU WARNED IF AN AGREEMENT COULD NOT BE REACHED THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD NEED TO ACT IN ACCORDANCE TO THE BL AFTER 1997 AND ARRANGE FOR ELECTIONS FOR THE FIRST SAR LEGISLATURE. LU ALSO CRITICISED THE BRITISH SIDE FOR DELIBERATELY STALLING THE TALKS, CITING THE BRITISH REQUEST FOR A BREAK IN AUGUST AS AN EXAMPLE. ON THE THROUGH TRAIN, LU CONSIDERED THE PROBLEM OF THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE WHICH SHOULD BE IN ACCORDANCE TO THE NPC DECISION SHOULD BE SORTED OUT FIRST. THE PAPERS QUOTED SIR ROBIN MCLAREN AS REITERATING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE THROUGH TRAIN.

6. AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE 11TH ROUND, THE PAPER QUOTED (9.9) THE CHINESE REPRESENTATIVE JIANG ENZHU AS SAYING THE TALKS WERE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT ON THE 1994/95 ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS WHICH COULD CONVERGE WITH THE BL AND LAST BEYOND 1997. FROM THIS VIEWPOINT, THE TALKS WERE ABOUT THE THROUGH TRAIN. HE SAID ONLY BY STRICTLY ADHERING TO THE THREE CONFORMITIES' WOULD THE TWO SIDES BE ABLE TO RESOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS. DEFENDING LU PING'S LEAKAGE OF THE CONTENT OF THE TALKS, JIANG SAID THAT WAS BECAUSE THE BRITISH- HK AUTHORITIES HAD PROPOSED MAJOR CHANGES TO THE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM.

7. SIR ROBIN MCLAREN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING (9.9) THAT ALL THE BRITISH SIDE'S PROPOSALS, INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR'S REFORM PACKAGE, WERE IN LINE WITH THE THREE CONFORMITIES'. HE REITERATED THE THROUGH TRAIN WAS IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE TALKS. SIR ROBIN ALSO SAID THE HK AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS HAD NO INTENTION TO DO AND HAD NOT DONE ANYTHING WHICH WOULD AFFECT THE POLITICAL NEUTRALITY OF THE HK CIVIL SERVICE.

8. SING TAO DAILY QUOTED (9.9) HIGH LEVEL CHINESE SOURCES IN PEKING AS SAYING THE CHINESE SIDE BELIEVED THE TALKS WOULD EVENTUALLY BREAK DOWN. CHINESE SOURCES EXPECTED THE GOVERNOR WOULD PUSH AHEAD

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