TNAG-2781-FCO40-4000-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1993 — Page 101

CONFIDENTIAL

Chinese Comments on Issues Related to the Sino-British Talks

(August 13 to September 1, 1993)

Introduction

Chinese commentaries during the period under review expressed disapproval of the counter-proposals reportedly put forward by the British side at the ninth round of talks, which ended on August 17. The Government's new measure to allow expatriate civil servants to switch to local terms continued to draw comment.

Chinese commentaries were quick to criticise the British side for again breaking the confidentiality rule as one or two papers carried what was described as British counter-proposals on the nine new functional constituencies and the Election Committee. On the reported counter- proposals on functional constituency elections, Chinese sources and commentaries pointed out that the suggestion of an electorate of a million voters comprising both employers and employees who would vote on a "one man, one vote" basis represented a veiled form of direct election. The slashing of the electorate to one million from 2.5 million under the Patten package was not seen as a concession as the functional constituency electorate should have only about 100,000 voters in the first place.

On the Election Committee, the Chinese side was unhappy that the British side had reportedly objected to local NPC and CPPCC delegates becoming members.

Criticisms of the British side's lack of sincerity as manifested by its various "petty tricks" and calls for a return to the path of the "three conformities" remained an ongoing theme on the Chinese side. A matter of concern this time was the Governor's remarks that "no agreement is better than a bad agreement, " which some commentaries took as an indication that Mr Patten was ready to disregard any agreement to be reached and go it alone on his reform package.

The Chinese side remained restrained in its comments on the new policy of allowing expatriate civil servants to change to local terms. It merely reiterated that it should have been consulted on what it saw as a major policy change and that the definition of permanent residents must be discussed. Its support for the local civil servants' cause did not mean that it endorsed drastic action, and its opposition to the new measure did not mean that expatriates would be excluded from the post-1997 civil service. Commentaries continued to argue that the move was a British attempt to extend their influence here beyond 1997.

Upset by SCA Michael Sze's remarks after the ninth round that the through train was the focal point of the talks, the Chinese side stressed that the issue had never been on the agenda, which covered only the 1994/95 electoral arrangements. The commentaries accused the British side of trying to use the issue to blame the Chinese side for the lack of progress at the talks. Apart from this, the Chinese side remained consistent in its opposition to an unconditional through train and the early announcement of a set of objective criteria for legislators elected in 1995 to ride the through train.

CONFIDENTIAL