TNAG-2990-FCO40-3574-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-talks-betwee-1992 — Page 223

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

UNCLASSIFIED

p.a.

Chun's

angle 116411

MDHIAN 2442

Minatt TOP COPY

74

Q DIST? ́

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 08083OZ FCO

TELNO 2463

OF 080705Z OCTOBER 92

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

LEGCO ADDRESS: CHINESE REACTION.

SUMMARY

1. INITIAL CHINESE REACTION, FROM AN NCNA SPOKESMAN, IS TO LABEL MY PROPOSALS ''EXTREMELY IRRESPONSIBLE AND RECKLESS'' LU PING DESCRIBES MY ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROPOSALS AS ''SOCIALIST''.

DETAIL

2. NCNA, IN A STATEMENT ON THE EVENING OF 7 OCTOBER, ACCUSED ME OF BEING EXTREMELY IRRESPONSIBLE AND RECKLESS IN UNILATERALLY ANNOUNCING MY SO-CALLED ''PROPOSALS'' AND DISREGARDING THE VIEWS PUT FORWARD BY THE CHINESE. THE STATEMENT EMPHASISED THAT ANY MAJOR CHANGES IN THE TRANSITION LEADING TO A WEAKENING OF HONG KONG'S EXECUTIVE-LED GOVERNMENT WOULD BE AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THAT ANY PLAN FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE PUBLIC ONLY AFTER A CONSENSUS HAS BEEN

REACHED BY BOTH SIDES.

3. HK AND MACAU OFFICE DIRECTOR, LU PING, WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT HE WAS DISAPPOINTED I HAD ANNOUNCED MY PROPOSALS WITHOUT PRIOR CONSULTATION WITH THE CHINESE. HE CHARACTERISED MY ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROGRAMME AS 'SOCIALIST''.

4. WEN WEI PO (WWP) QUOTED SOURCES FAMILIAR WITH HONG KONG AFFAIRS AS SAYING THAT THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS WOULD DEFINITELY GIVE RISE TO UNREST AS THEY WOULD RESULT IN GREATER DIVERGENCE OF HONG KONG'S CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE BASIC LAW.

5. WWP COMMENTED THAT THE POLICY ADDRESS WAS NOT CONDUCIVE TO CONVERGENCE, ADDING THAT MY MOTIVE WAS TO START A ''PUBLIC OPINION WAR'' TO FORCE CHINA TO AMEND THE BASIC LAW. IT SAID THAT THE PROPOSED COMMITTEE SYSTEM FOR LEGCO AND THE GOVERNMENT-LEGCO COMMITTEE WOULD UNDERMINE THE EFFICIENCY OF AN EXECUTIVE-LED GOVERNMENT AS PROMISED BY THE BASIC LAW. THE PROPOSED EXPANSION IN POWERS FOR THE DISTRICT BOARDS WOULD CONTRAVENE THE BASIC LAW,

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