TNAG-2804-FCO40-4044-National-People-s-Congress-and-Chinese-People-s-Political-Co-1993 — Page 15

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FOR THE HKSAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE, TO SET IN MOTION ALL THE RELEVANT PREPARATORY WORK.''

4.

JIANG ZEMIN'S CLOSING SPEECH CONTAINED A BRIEF REFERENCE TO HONG KONG IN THE SECTION ON REUNIFICATION OF THE MOTHERLAND. HE SAID THAT CHINA WOULD STRICTLY IMPLEMENT THE HONG KONG BL AND THE MACAO BL, WOULD OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES, REMOVE OBSTACLES AND ENERGETICALLY BRING ABOUT SMOOTH TRANSITIONS IN HONG KONG AND MACAO, AND WOULD MAINTAIN THEIR LONG TERM STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.

5. IN HIS CLOSING PRESS CONFERENCE, LI PENG ANSWERED ONE QUESTION ON HONG KONG. HE WAS ASKED WHETHER THE NPC'S ADOPTION OF THE GUANGDONG DELEGATES' PROPOSAL MEANT THAT THE CHANCE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES PRODUCING A SMOOTH TRANSITION FOR HONG KONG WAS NOW SLIM AND WHETHER THE TWO SIDES WOULD FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO COOPERATE ON OTHER FRONTS INCLUDING ECONOMIC IF THEY COULD NOT REACH CONVERGENCE ON POLITICAL ISSUES. LI REPLIED THAT SINCE THE TIME LEFT BEFORE CHINA RESUMED THE EXERCISE OF SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG WAS NOW SHORT, AND MUCH WORK WOULD NEED TO BE DONE BEFORE THEN, THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE HAD BEEN AUTHORISED TO SET UP AT THE NECESSARY TIME (ZAI XUYAO DE SHIHOU) A PREPARATORY WORKING GROUP TO DO THE PREPARATORY WORK. CHINA HAD ONLY ONE OBJECTIVE, ΤΟ BRING ABOUT A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. CHINA HAD HAD NO INTENTION OF CLOSING THE DOOR TO SINO-BRITISH NEGOTIATIONS: IT HAD BEEN CLOSED BY THE BRITISH SIDE. ALL THAT WAS NEEDED WAS FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO ADOPT AN ATTITUDE OF INITIATIVE, RETURN TO THE THREE PRINCIPLES AND RECOGNISE THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS WOULD BE BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS: THE CHINESE SIDE STILL TOOK A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TO SUCH TALKS. CHINA DID NOT WANT CONFRONTATION AND HOPED THAT SINO-BRITISH COOPERATION WOULD BRING ABOUT A SMOOTH TRANSITION. THE BRITISH SIDE HAD ALREADY CLOSED ONE DOOR TO TALKS, NOW HE WAS LOOKING TO SEE WHETHER THE SECOND WAS BEING SHUT. ACCORDING TO A

THE CHINESE SAYING, THE PERSON WHO TIES THE KNOT SHOULD UNTIE IT. BALL WAS NOW IN THE BRITISH COURT.

6. ON WHETHER OR NOT THE CURRENT DISPUTE WOULD AFFECT SINO-BRITISH TRADE RELATIONS, LI SAID THAT CHINA PAID GREAT ATTENTION TO DEVELOPING COMMERCIAL, ECONOMIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL COOPERATION WITH THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EC, INCLUDING BRITAIN. ON 30 MARCH, CHINA HAD SIGNED 9 CONTRACTS WORTH USD 1.8 BN WITH GERMANY. THIS DEMONSTRATED THAT AS A DEVELOPING COUNTRY, CHINA HAD GREAT POTENTIAL AND A HUGE MARKET. HE BELIEVED THAT BRITISH COMPANIES WERE ALSO INTERESTED IN THAT MARKET. HE HOPED THAT SINO-BRITISH

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