X 11
SECRET
_MKK040/1
✰ 1.
Mr Giffard
PS/Lord Belstead
0 8 APR 1983
DESK OF
INDEX
No
Müntüs
6/5
682
"am very pleased of hear yahar
52nd Governor intends
7
давал
It is a
that he cannor pwr with effect an election because
new initiatives
on
Kill The AK. Chinese ben brows in Governmer toull be seen as Selected by The British
INCREASED PARTICIPATION BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IN GOVERNMENT
fui I accept that his is too sentive with the PRC
1.
Lord Belstead will recall that following his visit to ar themomer
Hong Kong last December he expressed interest in the need to bath;
nine
increase participation by the people of Hong Kong in the Government of the territory. Since then the Governor has been giving a good deal of thought to this and the subject was among those discussed with the Prime Minister when the Governor and the Ambassador were here in March.
2.
The Governor has now sent me his initial thinking on this. This is attached. As he says the paper has no formal status but is simply a think piece. Only he and the Chief Secretary are aware of the points in it.
3.
The proposals in the draft paper seem very sensible. Some of the changes could take place very soon but it would be wrong to rush and others could only take place over a number of years.
Moreover, as the Governor points out in paragraph 20 of the paper, there will be a conflict between the wish to allow public discussion of the new measures proposed while at the same time avoiding hostile reaction from Peking.
4.
The Governor will continue to work on these ideas and to consider the stages at which the various elements might be considered by EXCO and then discussed more publicly. I do not think therefore that we need offer much comment at this stage other than to tell the Governor that what he has in mind appears to us to be on the right lines. But we may need to consider, at the appropriate stage, informing the Prime Minister, who has shown interest in the idea.
915.
Brip
R D Clift
6 May 1983
Hong Kong and General Department
SECRET
I agree
Cealikan
45