TNAG-2781-FCO40-4000-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1993 — Page 154

UNCLASSIFIED

167625

MDHIAN 75

BRITISH SIDE FELT THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO RESTRICT FOREIGN PASSPORT HOLDERS FROM STANDING FOR ELECTION, AND TENDED TO FAVOUR WORKING OUT A CONTINGENCY PLAN WHICH WOULD BE APPLIED IF MORE THAN

12 LEGISLATORS HOLDING FOREIGN PASSPORTS WERE ELECTED.

4.

MEANWHILE, THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL QUOTED SOURCES CLOSE TO THE BRITISH SIDE AS SAYING THAT JUDGING FROM RECENT DEVELOPMENTS, THE GOVERNOR SHOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE PROGRESS OF NEGOTIATIONS IN HIS POLICY ADDRESS IN OCTOBER. THE SOURCE REPORTED THAT THERE COULD BE FOUR SCENARIOS ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT'S ASSESSMENT.

(THIS WAS REPORTED IN SOME DETAIL ON PAGE 3 IN TODAY'S

MEDIA SUMMARY).

5. THE SOURCES FURTHER POINTED OUT THAT THE TALKS COULD NOT GO ON FOREVER AS THE GOVERNMENT WOULD NEED TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE

ELECTIONS. THE PAPER REPORTED THAT THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION WOULD HAVE TO PRESENT ITS PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS TO THE GOVERNOR ON 31 OCTOBER FOLLOWED BY PUBLIC CONSULTATION. A FINAL REPORT WOULD HAVE TO BE READY BY 31 DECEMBER TO ALLOW TIME FOR PREPARATIONS FOR THE DB ELECTIONS IN SEPTEMBER NEXT YEAR.

6. SING TAO DAILY TODAY QUOTED MAINLAND CONVENOR OF THE PWC

POLITICAL SUB-GROUP XIAO WEIYUN AS SAYING THAT THE THROUGH TRAIN ISSUE WOULD NOT/NOT BE DISCUSSED IN THE SUB-GROUP'S MEETING IN PEKING ON 1 AND 2 SEPTEMBER. THE PAPER ALSO QUOTED A CHINESE

OFFICIAL WHO HAD TAKEN PART IN THE DRAFTING OF THE BL AS SAYING

THAT WHILE THE SETTING OF OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN COULD BE CONSIDERED, THIS SHOULD BE DECIDED BY THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE. HE WOULD NOT COMMENT ON WHETHER THIS SHOULD BE DONE EARLIER TO ALLOW CANDIDATES IN THE 1995 ELECTIONS TO HAVE GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WERE VERY CLEAR WHAT THE STANDARDS FOR UPHOLDING THE BL WERE, BUT WERE NEVERTHELESS WILLING TO DISCUSS OBJECTIVE CRITERIA IF HONG KONG PEOPLE CONSIDERED THESE STANDARDS INSUFFICIENT. HE CONFIRMED THAT WHEN DRAFTING THE BL ARTICLE, THE CHINESE SIDE WERE PREPARED TO PROCEED ON TWO-FRONTS' IF THERE WAS CONVERGENCE IN THE POLITICAL SYSTEM, THINGS WOULD BE EASY TO ARRANGE: BUT IF THERE WERE NO CONVERGENCE, THEN THE SARPC WOULD DECIDE HOW THE FIRST LEGISLATURE SHOULD BE FORMED.

FORD