TNAG-2779-FCO40-3998-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1993 — Page 127

UNCLASSIFIED

HKCC 012/2 нисс

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 625

OF 220448Z APRIL 93

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG

ра

61/2

له

110

176050 MDHIAN 8021

TALKS ON 94/95 ELECTIONS: PRESS REPORTS

SUMMARY

1.

LOCAL PRESS TODAY (22 APRIL) GAVE PROMINENT COVERAGE TO REMARKS MADE BY CHINESE OFFICIALS ON THE EVE OF THE TALKS. THE PAPERS PLAYED UP THE ''COLD RECEPTION'' RECEIVED BY THE BRITISH TEAM ON ARRIVAL AT PEKING.

DETAIL

TEAM ARRIVAL

2. THE PAPERS REPORTED PROMINENTLY THAT NO CHINESE OFFICIALS WERE AT THE PEKING AIRPORT TO RECEIVE THE BRITISH TEAM. CONTRASTING IT WITH THE BPF DELEGATION WHICH ARRIVED AT THE SAME TIME AND WAS RECEIVED BY CHEN ZUO'ER, MOST SAW IT AS A SNUB BY THE CHINESE.

LI PENG

3. LI PENG TOLD A VISITING DELEGATION OF DB CHAIRMEN THAT THE TALKS WOULD BE CONDUCTED ON THE BASIS OF THE THREE COMPLIANCES. THE CHINESE WERE SINCERE ABOUT THE TALKS AND HOPED THAT THEY COULD ACHIEVE RESULTS THROUGH MUTUAL EFFORTS.

4. ON THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE TALKS, LI SAID THAT THE CONTENTS OF THE TALKS SHOULD AS FAR AS POSSIBLE BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL TO AVOID TURNING THEM INTO MEGAPHONE DIPLOMACY. THIS WOULD ALSO CREATE A GOOD ATMOSPHERE CONDUCIVE TO THE TALKS.

5.

LI EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR THE NEW AIRPORT: BUT SAID THAT THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS STILL NEEDED TO BE DISCUSSED.

WANG QIREN

6. HKMO DEPUTY DIRECTOR WANG QIREN REFERRED TO THE PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE TALKS AND SAID THAT THE PATTEN PACKAGE COULD BE NEITHER THE STARTING POINT NOR THE BASIS FOR THE TALKS.

1

PAGE

UNCLASSIFIED