Attempts made to 'interfere with Beijing's sovereignty'

BEIJING accused Britain of attempting to interfere with affairs concerning its sovereignty at the outset of negotiations, in its version of the talks released last night.

It said Britain had sought assurances on topics outside the realm of the negotiations on the arrangements for the 1994/95 elections in Hong Kong.

It said the British side, at the outset and later, insisted on discussing with China three other points.

They were: That there should be consultation between the two sides about Hong Kong membership of the Preparatory Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR).

Whether the Chinese Government would support universal suffrage for the election of the Legislative Council in 2007, if that was the wish of the Hong Kong SAR.

That the method of forming the election committee in 1995 should be used for the future selection committee for the first chief executive of the Hong Kong SAR and election committees for its subsequent chief executives.

These points were also included in the UK version of talks which was published as a White Paper last week. The White Paper said the British side had sought assurances from the Chinese side on those three issues during the first three rounds of talks.

But the Chinese document said: ''The Chinese side made it clear that all the three issues raised by the British side went beyond the arrangements for the 1994/95 elections in Hong Kong and should therefore not be covered by the talks.'' It said with regard to the election of all members of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong SAR by universal suffrage after 2007, article 68 of the Basic Law and paragraph 3 of its Annex II contained provisions to this effect.

''It is a question to be decided by the Hong Kong SAR itself and it needs no guarantee by the Chinese Government,'' the document said.

As for the 1995 election committee as the model, it said the selection committee for producing the first chief executive of the Hong Kong SAR and election committees for its subsequent chief executive had different functions from those of the election committee which would elect members of the Legislative Council in 1995.

It said the decision of the National People's Congress (NPC) on the method for the formation of the first government and the first Legislative Council of the Hong Kong SAR adopted in April 1990 and Annex I of the Basic Law clearly provided for how to produce the selection committee for the first chief executive and the election committees for the subsequent chief executives.

''To replace or revise the relevant provisions is out of the question,'' the document said.

On the question of consultation on Hong Kong members of the Preparatory Committee, it said the committee's organisation was entirely up to China.

''According to the relevant NPC decision, the chairman and members of the Preparatory Committee to be set up in 1996, including those from Hong Kong, should be appointed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

''Apparently, the Basic Law and the NPC decisions have explicit provision for all the three issues. They are matters within China's sovereignty. The motive of the British side in raising these questions is obvious,'' the Chinese document said.

The two sides failed to reach agreement on the three points.