UNCLASSIFIED
140035 MDHIAN 398
་
BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES.
5. THE CHINESE POSITION WAS AMPLIFIED IN THE LEFT-WING PRESS. ELABORATING ON ZHANG JUNSHENG'S STATEMENT, A COMMENTARY IN WEN WEI PO QUOTED ARTICLE VIII OF THE ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS (SUSPECT SHOULD BE ARTICLE XXVI(6) INSTEAD) WHICH LAID DOWN THAT BILLS SHOULD NOT BE INCONSISTENT WITH HMG'S OBLIGATIONS, AND CLAIMED THAT LEGCO PANEL'S DISCUSSIONS ON THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS BEFORE AN AGREEMENT IN THE POLITICAL TALKS WAS REACHED, CONSTITUTED A BREACH OF THE BASIC OBLIGATIONS IN DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS ON THE BRITISH SIDE. LEGCO PANEL'S ACTIONS WERE THEREFORE ILLEGAL BUT THE BRITISH SIDE TOLERATED AND EVEN ENCOURAGED SUCH ACTIONS.
6.
TA KUNG PAO SAID THAT THE PANEL DISCUSSIONS WERE UNCONSTRUCTIVE BACKGROUND NOISES TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL TALKS. NOTING THAT AS ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS HAD ALREADY BEEN FULLY DISCUSSED IN AN EARLIER LEGCO AD HOC GROUP AND THE REPORT OF THE GROUP HAD BEEN ENDORSED BY LEGCO, TO RE-OPEN DISCUSSIONS ONLY A FEW MONTHS LATER INDICATED A DISREGARD OF LEGCO'S EARLIER DECISION. THE BRITISH SIDE WAS CRITICISED FOR BACKING ANTI-CHINA ELEMENTS IN LEGCO AND CONFIRMING THE RIGHT OF LEGCO TO DISCUSS CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES.
7. HK COMMERCIAL DAILY SAID THAT FCO WOULD LIKE TO REACH EARLY AGREEMENT WITH CHINA ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES AS THIS WOULD FACILITATE THE OPENING UP OF THE CHINESE MARKET TO BOOST BRITAIN'S DECLINING ECONOMY. THE ARTICLE ALLEGED THAT THE GOVERNOR, IN A POWER STRUGGLE WITH THE FCO, INSTIGATED UDHK AND THE LEGCO PANEL TO OBSTRUCT THE CONSTITUTIONAL TALKS.
8.
QUOTING UNSPECIFIED SOURCES, HK ECONOMIC TIMES REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD TABLED A PROPOSAL ON ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS IN THE LAST ROUND OF TALKS.
AIRPORT
9. THE FS SAID YESTERDAY THAT THE DRAFTING OF THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY BILL WAS AT ITS FINAL STAGE AND THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD BE CONSULTED BEFORE THE BILL WAS TABLED IN LEGCO. IT WAS NOT YET KNOWN WHEN THE BILL WOULD BE READY. ON THE FINANCING PACKAGE, MACLEOD SAID THAT THE KEY QUESTIONS TO BE RESOLVED WERE THE AMOUNT OF LOANS AND CAPITAL DRAWN ON DETAILS.
INJECTION.
HE HOWEVER REFUSED TO BE
PAGE 2 UNCLASSIFIED
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