TNAG-2780-FCO40-3999-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1993 — Page 70

UNCLASSIFIED

012/2

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 961

OF 151115Z JUNE 93

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

160

157607

MDHIAN 4893

TOP COPY Q DIST?

ра

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORTS.

TALKS.

1. MING PAO QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES, ON MONDAY AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD ASK THE BRITISH SIDE AT THIS ROUND OF TALKS WHETHER THEY WOULD ABIDE BY THE AGREEMENTS AS SET OUT IN THE SEVEN SETS OF DIPLOMATIC LETTERS. THE SOURCE SAID THAT IF THE BRITISH SIDE GAVE A POSITIVE RESPONSE, SPEEDY PROGRESS COULD BE ACHIEVED. FCO LOCAL SPOKESMAN SAID ON SUNDAY THAT THE CONSISTENT POSITION OF THE BRITISH SIDE WAS THAT THE DOCUMENTS DID NOT CONSTITUTE AN AGREEMENT AND HAD NO BINDING POWER.

2. WEN WEI PO ON SUNDAY QUOTED LU PING AS SAYING THAT HE HOPED

PROGRESS COULD BE ACHIEVED AT THE FIFTH ROUND WITH BOTH SIDES

SHOWING SINCERITY.

3.

QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, SING TAO DAILY REPORTED ON MONDAY THAT THE CHINESE SIDE ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO ENTER INTO CONCRETE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BRITISH SIDE IN THE FIFTH ROUND. HOWEVER IN VIEW OF THE 'PETTY TRICKS' PLAYED BY THE BRITISH SIDE THE QUESTION OF SINCERITY WOULD HAVE TO BE RESOLVED FIRST AT THIS ROUND. ACCORDING TO A WEN WEI PO COMMENTARY ON SATURDAY, REMEDIAL MEASURES TO SOLVE THESE DIFFICULTIES INCLUDED: THE GOVERNOR NOT SIGNING THE

BEC BILL: THE HKG OPENLY DECLARING THAT IT DID NOT SUPPORT LEGCO

PANEL DISCUSSIONS ON THE PATTEN PACKAGE: AND THE HMG CLARIFYING MR GOODLAD'S EARLIER REMARKS.

4.

REMARKS MADE BY THE LEADERS OF THE TWO SIDES BEFORE AND AFTER

THE TALKS WERE WIDELY REPORTED IN THE LOCAL PRESS TODAY. SIR ROBIN

SAID THAT THE TEAM HAD CLIMBED THE GREAT WALL ON AN EARLIER

SUGGESTION OF CHEN ZIYING. JIANG ENZHU SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE

HAD ALWAYS BEEN SINCERE IN THE TALKS. AS LONG AS BOTH SIDES COULD

SHOW AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF SINCERITY AND KEEP REACHING FOR THE TOP OF THE GREAT WALL, THE TALKS WOULD ACHIEVE POSITIVE RESULTS. ON GROUNDS OF CONFIDENTIALITY, HE DECLINED TO SAY WHETHER THE TALKS

PAGE

1

UNCLASSIFIED