CODE
Mr Cox, FED
SECRET
Reference
FEC
040/1
441
As Post
FUTURE OF HONG KONG CHINESE VIEWS ON THE QUESTION OF A GOVERNOR
439
1. Thank you for your minute of 4 August. I agree with the points that you make in both para 3 and para 4. These are indeed considerations which are reflected in the papers on Possible Changes in Administrative Arrangements and on Alternative Insulators. As you know it is proposed that these papers should be attached as annexes to an overall strategy paper which is also in preparation //2 On your para 3, the Changes paper proposes a whittled down authority for HMG, limited to the right to insist that the Governor's decisions should be acceptable to the Hong Kong legislature. I know you dislike the term 'procedural accountability' which I adopted as a shorthand for such an arrangement, and I accept that 'accountability' is perhaps an unduly loaded word. But as I explained, the paper, which considers a whole range of other changes, is already dangerously long, and some compression is unavoidable.
3. As to your para 4, the purpose of the Alternative Insulators paper is precisely to look at options other than the present constitutional forms. I apologise for not giving you a chance to comment on the draft of this paper. It has been agreed at departmental level and telegraphed to posts. But I am sure Mr Clift would welcome any comments you might like to offer. The paper is perhaps most conveniently available in FCO telno 739, which I have marked for entry on file FEH 040/1.
+KK040/14 (807) K'
Ms th
PA B Thomson
Far Eastern Department K258
233 5963
5 August 1983
cc: Mr Hoare, HKD (WH312)/
Mr Walker, Research Dept (G59/4)
MKK040/1
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