GR 460
SECRET
FV PEKING 1603302 DEC 33
TO IMMEDIATE FOO
SECRET
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1360 OF 16 DECE· BER
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
(34)
YOUR TELMO 1006 AND HONG KONG TELOS 1714 AND 1225;
DEVELOPMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE
4KK all 13
RECEIVED IN PAGISTRY 16 DEC 1933
DES
INDEX
No
1. I THINK THAT OUR MAIN CONCEON SHOULD BE TO ESTABLISH
A SYSTEM FOR THE SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT OF THE GOVERNOP
I
FOR THIS REASON I HOULD
FAVOUR A SYSTEM WITH AS MUCH DIRECT ELECTION AND AS LITTLE
CONSULTAT 10% AMONGST INTEPEST GROUPS AS POSSIBLE. THE CHINESE WILL, OF COURSE, BE ABLE TO EXEPT A CEPTAIN DEGREE OF INFLUENCE WHATEVER THE SELECTION PROCEDURE, BUT THEY
WILL HAVE MORE SCOPE TO DO SO WITH A PROCESS PELYING MODE
ON CONSULTATION AMONGST LEGCO OF ON 200 ELECTORS THAN ON
DIRECT ELECTION BY THE HONG KONG FEGISTERED ELECTORATE OP
ELECTION BY A LECCO WHICH WOULD ITSELF HAVE REEV ELECTED.
12. I AM ALSO UNSURE ABOUT THE PROPOSAL TO ELECT THE GOVERNOR
INITIALLY SY A COLLEGIATE SYSTEM AND THEN LATER, IF ALL
GOES WELL, BY DIRECT ELECTION, IF DIRECT ELECTION IS THE SYSTEM
FOR WHICH WE ARE ULTIMATELY AIMING, WE SHOULD TRY TO ESTABLISH
IT FROM THE OUTSET. IT WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY SE IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE TO IT ONLY A YEAP OP TWO BEFORE 1997 15, AS IS QUITE POSSIBLE, THE CHINESE THEMSELVES HAVE ANY PESE VATIONS ABOUT IT. INDEED, IF THEY APE FIPNLY OPPOSED TO IT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO INITIATE IT AT ALL. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD THEN HAVE TO SP FOR INDIRECT ELECTION OF THE TYPE DESOPISED IN PARA 1 ABOVE.
3. I HAVE TWO SPECIFIC POINTS ON THIRT TUP:
(A) PAPA 4: THE CHOMESE SPOKE OF SELECTION OF THE GOVERNDE
BY ELECTION (MEXT WORD UNDERLINED) 2o CONSULTATION
(PARA 4(111) OF THE 8 DECEMBER RECORD):
(0) PAPA 5: PROCEDURES FOR APPOINTING THE GOVERNOP WILL
INEVITABLY BE LAID DOWN IN THE BASIC LAW PASSED BY THE NPC:
IT FOLLOWS THAT THE GOVERNOP WILL DRAW HIS CONSTITUTIONAL
AUTHORITY FROM PEKING, THOUGH HIS MORAL AUTHORITY AND
POLITICAL POWER-BASE SHOULD BE FIRMLY ANCHORED IN HONG KONG.
WE MUST BE IN NO DOUBT THAT THERE IS NO QUESTION OF EXCLUDING
PEKING FROM FORMALLY CONFIRMING THE GOVERNOR'S APPOINTMENT.
CRADOCK
LIMITED
HDIHKD
HD/FED
PS
PS/PUS
PSIMRLUCE
MRDONALD
SECRET
36
See (45
THIS IS A COPY THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR
40 YEARS UNDER FOI EXEMPTION NO... 27 (1)