CHINA'S top official in charge of Hongkong affairs, Mr Lu Ping, suggested that a successful outcome of Sino-British talks on political reform for the territory would help resolve other outstanding issues. Mr Lu's remarks were seen as increasing pressure on Britain before going into the second day of talks this morning at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Some of the outstanding issues include resumption of meetings of the Joint Liaison Group and the Land Commission, as well as financing for the Chek Lap Kok airport and contracts that straddle the handover in 1997. The comments were made after the British and Chinese representatives ended a 31/2-hour opening session behind closed doors. Speaking before a meeting with a delegation from the Business and Professionals Federation (BFP), Mr Lu insisted that it was imperative to seize the opportunity to boost co-operation and solve outstanding issues as ''time is running out''. Before starting their meeting at 10 am, both the British representative, Sir Robin McLaren, and his opposite number, Mr Jiang Enzhu, held out hopes for a successful outcome. But when they came out, Sir Robin was tight-lipped and refused to ''categorise'' the morning session with any ''objectives''. There were no official statements at the end of the first day of the talks, which are expected to finish tomorrow or Sunday. But Mr Lu said that ''if an agreement can be reached on the 1994/95 electoral arrangements, it will help resolve other issues''. It was ''everybody's wish'' that positive results were achieved, but he stressed that it was just the ''first round''. ''We also hope that there will be the second round and the third round which could solve some problems,'' he said. Chinese Prime Minister Mr Li Peng indicated that a good political and diplomatic relationship between the two countries would ''undoubtedly be conducive'' to the sound development of economic and trade relations with Britain. He made the remarks when meeting Lord Young, the executive chairman of Cable & Wireless, in Beijing yesterday. The New China News Agency also reported that President Mr Jiang Zemin said China and Britain should work towards the common goal of maintaining Hongkong's prosperity and stability, adding that he was optimistic about Hongkong's future. Outside the conference meeting at Villa No 10, Mr Jiang reiterated that the negotiations were being held on the basis of the Joint Declaration, the principle to converge with the Basic Law and the past understandings reached by Britain and China. Sir Robin agreed. He said after the talks: ''We are approaching the discussion in a positive and constructive spirit and we are going to work very hard to achieve a successful outcome. ''I think it needs to take a little time but that is what we are going to do,'' he said. Both sides held internal meetings in the afternoon to review the morning discussions and prepare for today's talks. The British side reported the talks' progress to London and Hongkong. In Hongkong in the afternoon, Governor Mr Chris Patten pledged that Britain would enter the negotiations with a determination to bring about an honourable conclusion and said there would be no hidden agreements on the 1994/95 electoral arrangements. Speaking during his monthly question time session with Legislative Councillors, Mr Patten said that the Government needed to secure electoral arrangements for 1994/95 which were credible and which were clearly designed to produce a fair outcome rather than a pre-ordained one. Mr Patten also said that some clarification of the position on the through train would be another contributory factor to an honourable and successful conclusion. He said: 'We couldn't reach a secret deal because any agreement has to be shared with the community, has to be explained and justified to this council. ''At the end of the day, it will be for you in this council to decide on the legislation setting in place the electoral arrangements for 1994/95. That is your constitutional duty and it will remain so.'' Similarly, the British Foreign Secretary, Mr Douglas Hurd, would make a statement to the House of Commons. However, Mr Patten also stressed that ''no one should imagine that these talks will be easy''. But he added: ''I think that the whole council recognises that we should do everything we can to give the negotiations a fair wind.'' He noted that despite all the criticisms of the past few months, there had remained a pretty reasonable level of support for his political blueprint. Despite the positive signs, the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mr Wu Jianmin, said in Beijing that the time was not ripe for a meeting between the foreign ministers of China and Britain as stated in the Memorandum of Understanding on the newairport projects. Although the Chinese Foreign Minister, Mr Qian Qichen, would be visiting Europe this year, Mr Wu said there were no plans for Mr Qian to meet his British counterpart during the trip. On the concept of Hongkong legislators elected in 1995 sitting on the through train past 1997, a vice-chairman of the National People's Congress, Mr Wang Hanbin gave his interpretation on the meaning of ''upholding the Basic Law''. The Basic Law says one of the three criteria to become legislators in the post-1997 legislature is to ''uphold'' the post-1997 constitution. Speaking to 14 district board chairmen, Mr Wang reportedly said anyone who was ''in favour of and did not object'' to the Basic Law was regarded as upholding the Basic Law. BPF chairman, Mr Vincent Lo Hong-sui said his group had told Mr Lu that they hoped the Chinese side would clearly spell out the critieria for riding on the through train. Mr Lo said the BPF hoped that with the critieria being laid down, the Hongkong Government would co-operate and take corresponding steps to put it into practice in the 1995 elections. On the Election Committee, Mr Lo said his group supported that members should be selected by elections and in 1997, this committee should be turned into the selection committee for selecting the first Chief Executive for the SAR Government. ''This will set Hongkong people's mind at ease,'' he added.
