TNAG-2804-FCO40-4044-National-People-s-Congress-and-Chinese-People-s-Political-Co-1993 — Page 14

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INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG, DTI INFO PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS, WASHINGTON

NPC: FINAL SESSION: HONG KONG

SUMMARY

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LI PENG'S WORK REPORT HONG KONG SECTION PASSED UNAMENDED. ADOPTION OF GUANGDONG DELEGATES' PROPOSAL TO SET UP A PREPARATORY WORKING BODY FOR THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE OF THE SAR. MENTION OF HONG KONG IN JIANG ZEMIN'S CLOSING SPEECH. RELATIVELY MILD COMMENTS FROM LI PENG AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE: IMPLIES TALKS STILL POSSIBLE IF LEGISLATION NOT INTRODUCED INTO LEGCO. NO PERSONAL ATTACKS ON THE GOVERNOR. POSITIVE REFERENCE TO BRITISH TRADE OPPORTUNITIES: ''HOPES'' COOPERATION WILL NOT BE AFFECTED.

DETAIL

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THE NPC ADOPTED THE GOVERNMENT'S WORK REPORT ON 31 MARCH. HONG KONG AND TAIWAN SECTION OF THE RESOLUTION BEGAN AS FOLLOWS: ''WE WILL FIRMLY IMPLEMENT THE POLICY OF 'ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS' IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT REUNIFICATION OF THE MOTHERLAND AT AN EARLY DATE. WE WILL MAINTAIN THE LONG TERM STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG AND MACAO. WE FIRMLY OPPOSE THE CREATION OF OBSTACLES TO CHINA'S RESUMPTION OF THE EXERCISE OF SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG IN 1997 BY THE HONG KONG BRITISH AUTHORITIES''

3. THE NPC ALSO PASSED THE PROPOSAL MADE BY THE GUANGDONG DELEGATES TO SET UP A PREPARATORY WORKING GROUP FOR THE HKSAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE. THE RESOLUTION WAS AS FOLLOWS: ''THE NPC, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DECISION OF THE 3RD SESSION OF THE SEVENTH NPC ON THE METHOD OF FORMATION OF THE FIRST GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF THE HKSAR, WHICH PROVIDED THAT A PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR THE HKSAR SHOULD BE SET UP IN 1996, AND CONSIDERING THAT THE TIME FOR RECOVERING THE EXERCISE OF SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG IN 1997 IS DRAWING EVER CLOSER, AND THAT A GREAT AMOUNT OF PREPARATORY WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION IN 1997, DECIDED THAT IT WOULD AUTHORISE THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NPC TO SET UP A PREPARATORY WORKING BODY (JIGOU)

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