TNAG-2771-FCO40-3988-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 98

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FM HONG KONG

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OF 23030OZ AUGUST 93

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DESK OFFICER INDEX

REGISTRY

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INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JEG HONG KONG

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

PART ONE OF TWO PARTS:

HONG KONG FUTURE: PRESS COVERAGE: 14.8-21.8.

SUMMARY.

1. THERE CONTINUED TO BE PROMINENT COVERAGE OF THE TALKS:

CONTENT/PROGRESS OF THE NINTH ROUND AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE TENTH ROUND. CHINESE COMMENTS ON THE NEW TEMPORARY POLICY TO ALLOW EXPATRIATE CIVIL SERVANTS TO SWITCH TO LOCAL TERMS ALSO FEATURED.

TALKS.

2"

A MEETING OF LOCAL CPPCC DELEGATES AT THE NCNA HONG KONG BRANCH CHAIRED BY NCNA LOCAL VICE DIRECTOR QIN WENJUN WAS ACCORDED PROMINENT COVERAGE (14.8) A DELEGATE KENNETH CHOW SAID AFTER THE MEETING QIN HAD ANALYSED THE TALKS AND REITERATED THE CHINESE STAND. QIN REPEATED DENG XAOPING'S REMARKS TO MRS THATCHER IN 1982 THAT THE QUESTION OF SOVEREIGNTY COULD NOT BE NEGOTIATED

AND THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNEMNT WOULD RECONSIDER THE TIMING AND METHOD OF RECOVERING HONG KONG SHOULD THERE BE SERIOUS UPHEAVALS IN HONG KONG IN THE LATTER PART OF THE TRANSITION. CHOW ALSO SAID QIN

HAD QUOTED JIANG ZEMIN'S REMARKS THAT CHINA WOULD ABIDE BY THE JD

NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED.

3.

VICE DIRECTOR NCNA HONG KONG ZHANG JUNSHENG WAS QUOTED AS SAYING (15.8) QIN WENJUN'S REPETITION OF DENG XIAOPING'S REMARKS IN 1982 WAS JUST TO INDICATE CHINA'S POLICY ON HONG KONG WAS CONSISTANT I.E. TO TAKE BACK HONG KONG IN 1997 AND RESUME SOVEREIGNTY. DURING THIS PROCESS, CHINA WOULD SET OUT POLICIES WHICH WOULD ENABLE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY TO CONTINUE IN HONG KONG DURING THE TRANSITION AND AFTER 1997.

4.

SIR ROBIN WAS QUOTED ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE NINETH ROUND OF

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