TNAG-2991-FCO40-3566-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1992 — Page 61

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FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1687

OF 221146Z JUNE 92

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

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Constit.

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135541

MDHIAN 8819

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TOP COPY Q DIST?

MIPT: CONSULTATION ON APPOINTMENTS TO EXCO: PRESS REPORTS

1. THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (SCMP) REPORTED IN ITS HEADLINE

ON 20 JUNE QUOTE CHINA DEMANDS SAY ON EXCO UNQUOTE. IT SAID THAT

THE VERBAL BATTLE BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN TOOK A SERIOUS TURN

FOR HONG KONG WITH BEIJING DEMANDING CONSULTATION ON APPOINTMENTS TO EXCO.

2. THE SCMP REPORTED THAT GUO FENGMIN INSISTED THAT BRITAIN

SHOULD QUOTE DISCUSS EXCO APPOINTMENTS WITH BEIJING SINCE

APPOINTEES WHO MIGHT OPENLY SUBVERT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND

OPPOSE THE BASIC LAW WOULD AFFECT HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND

PROSPERITY UNQUOTE. GUO WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID QUOTE ALL

IMPORTANT ISSUES SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH US. THERE NEEDS TO BE

CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASIC LAW. THERE SHOULD BE DISCUSSION ON IMPORTANT ISSUES UNQUOTE. HE BALANCED THIS BY REPORTING MY STATEMENT THAT EXCO APPOINTMENTS WERE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNOR AND THAT SPECULATION ABOUT WHAT THE NEW GOVERNOR WOULD OR WOULD NOT DO WAS UNJUSTIFIED (MY TELNO 1672).

3. THE SCMP ARTICLE ALSO REFERRED TO AN EDITORIAL IN THE LEFT-

WING TA KUNG PAO ON 19 JUNE THAT CHINA MIGHT END ITS CO-OPERATION

WITH HONG KONG SHOULD UDHK MEMBERS BE APPOINTED TO EXCO. THIS SAID IF UDHK MEMBERS WERE APPOINTED TO EXCO, THEIR HOSTILE POLITICAL ATTITUDE AND CONFRONTATIONAL STANCE TOWARDS CHINA WOULD AFFECT THE INCREASINGLY HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HK AND

CHINA. THIS WOULD NO DOUBT END THE CO-OPERATIVE AND CONSULTATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE COUNCIL HK AND MACAU OFFICE AND

OTHER OFFICES AND THE HK GOVERNMENT. TO ENSURE A THROUGH TRAIN AND SMOOTH TRANSITION IN 1997, THE VIEWS OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE RESPECTED.

4. THE LEFT-WING WEN WEI PAO CARRIED A PROMINENT ARTICLE TODAY (22 JUNE), REFERRING TO MR. GOODLAD'S MEETING WITH THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR IN LONDON LAST FRIDAY (19 JUNE). MR. GOODLAD WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT APPOINTMENTS TO EXCO WERE A MATTER FOR

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