TNAG-2780-FCO40-3999-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1993 — Page 87

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oizk

RLVED IN RISTRY

14 JUN 1993

157

151321

MDHIAN 4503

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FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 951

DESK C INDEX

CISTRY

PA

on Taken

TOP COPY

OF 111015Z JUNE 93

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

Q DIST?

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PRESS REPORTS.

та

012/2

TALKS.

1. IN RESPONSE TO PRESS ENQUIRY ON THE MERGER OF THE YAU TSIM AND MONG KOK DISTRICT BOARDS, CHINESE MFA SPOKESMAN WU JIANMIN TODAY SAID THAT THE BRITISH SIDE SHOULD STOP ALL TALKS AND ACTIONS WHICH WOULD DISTURB OR UNDERMINE THE ON-GOING POLITICAL TALKS. WU SAID THAT CHINA WAS SINCERE ABOUT THE TALKS AND HOPED TO SEE EARLY PROGRESS ON THE BASIS OF THE THREE CONFORMITIES.

2.

ASSISTANT TO NCNA DIRECTOR LEE WAI-TING YESTERDAY CRITICISED THE THREE 'PETTY TRICKS' ALONG STANDARD LINES. HE WARNED THE BRITISH SIDE NOT TO TAKE SIMILAR ACTIONS BEFORE AND AFTER THE FIFTH ROUND OR THE TALKS MIGHT BREAK DOWN. THE PROBLEM NOW WAS A DISPUTE BETWEEN THE 'THREE CONFORMITIES' AND THE 'THREE VIOLATIONS'. HE STRESSED THAT ANY POLICY AND ARRANGEMENT RELATING TO A STABLE TRANSITION MUST BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLE THAT CHINA WOULD RESUME SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG IN 1997. ANY POLICY OR ARRANGEMENT THAT WENT AGAINST THIS PRINCIPLE WOULD NOT BE AGREED OR ALLOWED.

3.

LEE SAID THAT NPC'S DECISION TO SET UP THE SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE IN 1996 WAS IN LINE WITH THIS PRINCIPLE AND WOULD ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION IN 1997. ON THE OTHER HAND, TALKS ABOUT A 'THROUGH TRAIN' FOR BOTH THE SYSTEM AND PASSENGERS INFRINGED ON CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY AND SHOULD THEREFORE BE REFUTED. LEE SAID THAT THE ON-GOING SINO-BRITISH TALKS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SETTING UP OF THE PRELIMINARY WORK ORGAN FOR THE SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE. THE LATTER HAD TO PROCEED AS TIME WAS PRESSING. NCNA VICE-DIRECTOR ZHANG JUNSHENG WAS REPORTED TO HAVE MADE SIMILAR REMARKS ON A SEPARATE OCCASION YESTERDAY.

4. A NUMBER OF PAPERS QUOTED THE SECRETARY OF STATE AS SAYING THAT THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS COULD NOT DRAG ON INDEFINITELY. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT TO PARLIAMENT, HE SAID MORE PROGRESS HAD TO BE

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