UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
FM PEKING
TO FLASH FCO
TELNO 1471
ADVANCE COM
OF 231033Z OCTOBER 92
AND TO FLASH HONG KONG
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
164040
MDADAN 5305
FLASH
GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO PEKING, 20 23 OCTOBER: LU PING'S PRESS
CONFERENCE
1.
WE WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND LU PING'S PRESS CONFERENCE FOLLOWING THE GOVERNOR'S DEPARTURE FOR HONG KONG THIS AFTERNOON. THE CHINESE MADE IT CLEAR TO US THIS MORNING THAT WE WERE NOT INVITED. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CORRESPONDENT HAS PROVIDED A SUMMARY ACCOUNT.
2.
/
LU PING OFFERED A PROLONGED EXPLANATION OF WHY MR PATTEN'S APPROACH WAS UNACCEPTABLE. IT VIOLATED THE JOINT DECLARATION IN
PARTICULAR THE PROVISIONS ON COOPERATION. IT DID NOT COMPLY WITH
THE BASIC LAW. IT CONTRAVENED AGREEMENTS REACHED IN THE PAST FEW YEARS ON THE 1995 ELECTIONS.
3. LU PING'S COMPLAINT ON THE QUESTION OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WAS THAT MR PATTEN WAS TURNING INDIRECT ELECTIONS
INTO DIRECT ELECTIONS. ANNEX 2 OF THE BASIC LAW MADE IT CLEAR THAT
MEMBERS SHOULD BE ELECTED BY CORPORATE BODIES. THIS HAD BEEN THE VIEW EVEN OF THOSE PEOPLE (IE MARTIN LEE AND SZETO WAH) WHO HAD SUBSEQUENTLY LEFT THE BLDC. IN DRAFTING THE BASIC LAW THE TWO SIDES HAD EXCHANGED 'LETTERS'. THE CHINESE HAD A COMPREHENSIVE WRITTEN
RECORD.
4.
ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE IT WAS TRUE THAT THERE WERE NO CLEAR REGULATIONS SPELT OUT IN THE BASIC LAW. THIS HAD BEEN DELIBERATE. BOTH SIDES HAD AGREED TO LEAVE THE QUESTION OPEN.
YOU AND QIAN QICHEN HAD AGREED EXPLICITLY THAT THE ELECTIONS
SHOULD CONFORM WITH THE BASIC LAW. WHAT WAS NOW PROPOSED DID NOT DO SO.
ON THE FIRST LEGCO OF THE HKSAR THE BL ALREADY STIPULATED THE COMPOSITION OF THIS BODY. MR PATTEN'S PLAN RAN COUNTER TO THESE STIPULATIONS AND CONTRAVENED PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS.
5.
6.
LU PING SAID THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD SHOWN NO SINCERITY IN
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UNCLASSIFIED
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