TNAG-2914-FCO40-4189-International-support-from-the-USA-regarding-the-future-of-H-1993 — Page 72

05

HKCD 021/3

UNCLASSIFIED

021/3

RF

08 JUN 1993

39

055732

MDLIAN 2922

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 751

OF 131051Z MAY 93

ри

/pw

us/ Hong Kong

AND TO PRIORITY PEKING, WASHINGTON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

CORRECTED VERSION: PARA 2 LINE 8

PARA 4 LINE 4

YRTELNO 419: LEGCO DEBATE ON MFN

1. THE DEBATE IN LEGCO ON THE MOTION SET OUT IN OUR TELNO 679 TOOK PLACE AS SCHEDULED ON 12 MAY 1993. NO ONE MOVED ANY AMENDMENT. AFTER A THREE HOUR DEBATE DURING WHICH 30 MEMBERS SPOKE, THE MOTION WAS CARRIED BY A VOICE VOTE. ONLY MS EMILY LAU VOTED AGAINST IT. PRIOR TO THE VOTE, THE UDHK (SIX OF WHOM SPOKE) AND MS CHRISTINE LOH HAD DECLARED THEIR INTENTION TO ABSTAIN. THE

OTHERS (22) WHO SPOKE ALL INDICATED SUPPORT FOR IT.

2. THE DEBATE WAS HEATED AND BITTER. THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST ACCURATELY DESCRIBED IT AS A SLANGING MATCH. 'LIBERAL' (FORMERLY CRC) MEMBERS CLAIMED THAT, BECAUSE UDHK MEMBERS COULD NOT SUPPORT THE MOTION, THE UDHK WERE THEREFORE IN FAVOUR OF CONDITIONS HARMFUL TO CHINA AND HONG KONG, DID NOT CARE ABOUT HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC WELL-BEING AND WERE UNPATRIOTIC. THE UDHK QUERIED WHETHER, GIVEN THE FACTS OF US POLITICS, IT WAS STILL REALISTIC TO SEEK UNCONDITIONAL RENEWAL AND ACCUSED THE 'LIBERALS' OF NOT CARING ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS.

3. A FEW MEMBERS WERE CRITICAL OF THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO THE US. THEY SAID THAT THE VISIT HAD NOT RESULTED IN ANYTHING OF PRACTICAL VALUE AND THAT THE GOVERNOR'S TRUE AIM WAS TO PROMOTE HIS POLITICAL PROPOSALS. STEPHEN CHEONG IN PARTICULAR CLAIMED THAT, WHILE IN THE US, THE GOVERNOR HAD USED EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO RIDICULE CHINA, AND CALLED UPON THE UK GOVERNMENT TO CLARIFY WHETHER THIS REPRESENTED THE UK'S OFFICIAL STANCE.

4. IN ADDITION TO DEPLOYING THE LINE IN PARA 3 OF OUR TELNO 679, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY EXPLAINED WHY, DESPITE THE ODDS, WE WERE STILL LOBBYING FOR UNCONDITIONAL RENEWAL: MFN WAS THE NORMAL CONDITION FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND NOT A PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT, TRADE ISSUES SHOULD NOT BE POLITICISED

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