CODE 18-77
Mr Morris HKGD (K 221)
23/3
Reference HKK040/1
SECRET
Jone Af 141/3 Refer
FR
никочо
MAR 1983
т
184
FUTURE OF HONG KONG:
-
RUMOUR ABOUT PROPOSAL TO AMEND ARTICLE 31
OF THE CHINESE CONSTITUTION
1.
172
Your minute to Mr Thomson (FED) of I March.
I have not seen
any indications*to support the suggestion that amendment of Article 31 is under consideration. It seems more likely that consideration is being given to a possible announcement which would explain how Article 31 would apply to Hong Kong.
2. Article 31 provides that "the systems to be instituted in special administrative regions shall be prescribed by law enacted by the National People's Congress in the light of specific conditions". As applied to Hong Kong this would mean that the National People's Congress would adopt a law covering the special status of Hong Kong and presumably delegating a range of powers to the government of the Hong Kong special administrative region. These would presumably include the power to enact statutes and other detailed regulations for the government of the region in line with the principle of "Hong Kong people running Hong Kong" put forward by Chinese leaders.
3. The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference normally meets at the same time as the National People's Congress. It did so during the last National People's Congress (November-December 1982), and a China News Agency report at that time referred to "the Hong Kong-Macao group of the CPPCC"; this body held a meeting to discuss the recovery of Hong Kong in the light of Article 31 of the Constitution, then still in draft. Among the persons who spoke at this meeting were Li Zisong (Lee Tsz-chung in Cantonese), publisher of the Hong Kong Wen Wei Po, and Huo Yingdong, otherwise known as Henry Fok, both of whom are members of the CPPCC. It would be natural for a similar CPPCC to take place during the next National People's Congress, which is expected to be held about June this year.
4.
There are also, of course, local branches of the CPPCC at provincial and other levels, Hong Kong could also come under discussion at a meeting of one of these, eg in Guangdong.
* with one exception. Since
dictating the above, I have seen one report to this effect. I have commented on this report in my further minute of today's date.
8 March 1983
Cc:
Mr Thomson, FED
Ninfalken
K C Walker
Far Eastern Section Research Department G 59/4 233 3473
Mr Joy, PUSD (with Mr Morris's minute under ref)
SECRET