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071326.
MOLIAN 8451
BRITISH SIDE SHOULD ADHERE TO THE BL, JD AND PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS. MR WANG URGED THE GOVERNOR TO WITHDRAW HIS PROPOSALS AND RETURN TO THE TRACK OF CO-OPERATION.
5.
PAPERS NOTED (20.1) THE FOREIGN SECRETARY IN AN ARTICLE CONGRATULATING THE ORIENTAL DAILY ON ITS SILVER JUBILEE SAID LEGCO HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY TO BALANCE THE DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW IN THE COMMUNITY AND MADE A DECISION. THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD RESPECT ITS JUDGEMENT. MR HURD ALSO SAID THE GOVERNOR IN HIS VISIT TO PEKING IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR HAD AGREED THAT THE TWO SIDES SHOULD CONTINUE DISCUSSION ON POLITICAL REFORMS. HOWEVER, SUCH DISCUSSIONS HAD NOT YET TAKEN PLACE AND MR HURD UNDERSTOOD THIS HAD LED TO UNEASINESS IN HONG KONG. MR HURD SAID THE BRITISH SIDE HOPED FOR DISCUSSIONS TO TAKE PLACE AND QUOTED THE GOVERNOR AS SAYING THERE WERE NO PRE-CONDITIONS FOR TALKS. MR HURD DISMISSED REPORTS THAT THE BRITISH HAD CHANGED THEIR POLICY ON HONG KONG AND THAT IT WAS PART OF AN ANTI-CHINA CONSPIRACY.
CONTRACTS STRADDLING 1997
6.
THE SCMP REPORTED (16.1) THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE HKMAO, WANG QIREN, SAID SOME CONTRACTS TO BE AWARDED BY THE SAR WOULD REQUIRE APPROVAL FROM PEKING BUT HE FELL SHORT OF SPELLING OUT TO WHAT DEGREE FOREIGN POLICY WOULD IMPINGE ON THE SAR'S ABILITY TO SIGN CONTRACTS. IT WAS NOTED MR WANG MADE THE REMARKS IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ABOUT CHINESE DECISION TO TERMINATE THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY CONTRACT TO A FRENCH COMPANY IN RETALIATION FOR THE SALE OF MIRAGE JETS TO TAIWAN. MR WANG SAID THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE SAR AND ITS RELATED CONTRACTS SHOULD BE DEALT WITH BY THE CHINESE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. WEN WEI PO NOTED MR WANG SAID THE SAR ENJOYED A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY AND NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS SHOULD CONTINUE AS STIPULATED IN THE BL. HOWEVER, QUESTIONS WHICH INVOLVED FOREIGN AFFAIRS SHOULD BE DECIDED BY THE CHINESE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL CARRIED SIMILAR CHEN REMARKS MADE BY ANOTHER DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE HKMAO, ZIYING. MR CHEN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING AFTER 1997, TRADE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND MACAU AND OTHER COUNTRIES SHOULD BE IN LINE WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S FOREIGN POLICY. MR CHEN ADDED, HOWEVER, THAT EXCEPT FOR QUESTIONS CONCERNING NATIONAL DEFENCE AND FOREIGN POLICY, HONG KONG AND MACAU ENJOYED A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY AND THE CHINESE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT WOULD TAKE HONG KONG AND MACAU'S INTERESTS INTO ACCOUNT WHEN CONSIDERING THESE QUESTIONS.
7.
THE SAME ARTICLE IN SCMP REPORTED (16.1) REMARKS BY THE
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