TNAG-2771-FCO40-3988-Coverage-of-Sino-British-talks-in-the-Hong-Kong-press-1993 — Page 99

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MDLIAN 2565

TALKS (16.8) AS SAYING HE HOPED SOME PROGRESS COULD BE MADE. THE FACT THAT THIS ROUND WAS ARRANGED TO BE HELD IN MID-AUGUST SHOWED BOTH SIDES ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE TALKS.

5. THE PAPERS (16.8) NOTED A CNA DESPATCH CRITICISED THE

GOVERNOR FOR PLAYING PETTY TRICKS BETWEEN THE EIGHTH AND NINTH ROUNDS. THESE INCLUDED MERGING THE YAU TSIM AND MONGKOK DISTRICTS, ANNOUCNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION, SAYING THAT 'HAVING NO AGREEMENT WAS BETTER THAN A BAD AGREEMENT' AND THREATENING TO TABLE THE REFORM BILL IN LEGCO SHOULD NO AGREEMENT BE REACHED BY OCTOBER WHEN HE WAS DUE TO DELIVER HIS POLICY ADDRESS. THE ARTICLE ALSO CRITICSED THE GOVERNMENT FOR CHANGING THE CIVIL SERVICE POLICY WITHOUT INFORMING THE CHINESE SIDE.

6. THE HONG KONG ECONNOMIC JOURNAL SAID (16.8) IT LEARNED THE BRITISH SIDE PLANNED TO RESPOND TO THE CHINESE SIDE'S PROPOSALS ON THE NINE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. UNDER THE COUNTER-PROPOSAL, THE ELECTORATE OF THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WOULD AMOUNT TO ABOUT ONE MILLION PEOPLE, LESS THAN HALF OF THE 2.7 M PROPOSED UNDER THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE.

7.

A NUMBER OF PAPERS QUOTED (16.8) SOURCES AS SAYING THE NINTH ROUND OF TALKS WOULD CONCENTRATE ON THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS AND THE COMPOSITION OF THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD RAISE COUNTER-PROPOSALS ON THE NINE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. WHILE THE CHINESE SIDE WANTED TO INCLUDE THE CHINESE ENTERPRISES ASSOCIATION, THE BRITISH SIDE FELT ORGANISATIONS LIKE THE KAI FONG ASSOCIATIONS AND THE FISHERY AND INSURANCE INDUSTRY WERE NOT REPRESENTATIVE ENOUGH. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD SAID THE MATTER COULD BE FURTHER DISCUSSED BUT THE BOTTOM LINE WOULD BE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS SHOULD NOT BE TURNED INTO DIRECT ELECTIONS AND THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE COULD NOT BE USED AS A BASIS FOR TALKS.

8.

SIR ROBIN MCLAREN WAS QUOTED (17.8) AS SAYING AFTER THE FIRST DAY'S MEETING THE ATMOSPHERE HAD BEEN NORMAL. THE PAPERS NOTED DURING THE PHOTO CALL CHINESE REPRESENTATIVE JIANG ENZHU, IN REPLY TO A REPORTER:S QUESTION, SAID DENG XIAOPING'S REMARKS TO MRS THATCHER IN 1982 WHICH WARNED OF AN EARLY TAKEOVER BY CHINA IF THERE WERE CHAOS, REAMINED RELEVANT AND PROVIDED IMPORTANT GUIDANCE IN MOVING TOWARDS A SMOOTH TRANSITION. SIR ROBIN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING DENG'S REMARKS WERE MADE BEFORE SINO-BRITISH TALKS STARTED ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE AND WAY BEFORE THE SIGNING OF THE JD. HE