TNAG-2781-FCO40-4000-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1993 — Page 91

CONFIDENTIAL

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7.9.93

7.9.93

Sources close to the talks quoted by Sing Tao Daily

Chinese sources quoted by the HK Economic Journal

The two sides have major differences in eight areas. They are: 1. the composition and the size of the electorate for the nine new functional constituencies; 2. the formation of the Election Committee; 3. the objective criteria for the through train; 4. whether appointed DB and municipal council seats should be scrapped; 5. the adoption of a "multi-seat, single vote" system or a "single seat, single vote" system; 6. the lowering of the voting age to 18; 7. full direct elections for Legco in 2007; and 8. British participation in the SARPC's work.

At the 10th round, the Chinese side had severely criticised and given concrete response to the counter-proposals put forward by the British side at the last round. As the Chinese side had not put forward objective criteria for the through train, the British side had not made any new proposals in response to the Chinese side's criticisms. The Chinese side will not discuss the through train issue with the British side before a consensus is reached on electoral arrangements that can converge with the BL. In addition to opposition to giving a functional seat to the civil service, on the other British counter-proposals the Chinese side is against including unions of employers and employees in the same functional constituency; voting by "one man, one vote"; grouping different trades as mining, manufacturing and agriculture and fisheries under one constituency;

such

including lorry drivers in the proposed cargo shipping constituency; and grouping the various transport, textile and garment trade unions under the proposed cargo shippping and the textile and garment contituencies. But it will discuss with the British side the counter-proposal to extend the sports constituency to cover the culture and recreation sectors and the

kaifong association constituency to cover Mutual Aid Committees and Owners

Corporations.

CONFIDENTIAL