CONFIDENTIAL
2
copied from
BRIEF REPORT ON THE VISIT TO BEIJING BY THE "N.T. PERSONALITIES
by the
A
(e) on what China would do to maintain HK
people's confidence, Ji told the Group that there would be a transition period of up to 50 years after 1997 when the basic systems (economic, financial, legal etc) would remain the same except that those with colonial implications would be changed. Special provision would be made in China's Constitution to provide for HK's separate legal and administrative system, but it would have to
City and N.T. Administration
18 Nov 1983
21
be passed by the People's Congress. Thereafter, a mini-constitution would be prepared to cater for HK's special needs;
(F) on whether China would send communist
officials to administer HK, Ji gave a definite no and said that the communist party officials would be too socialist-oriented to be able to run HK;
(g) on whether China would announce its future
intentions earlier so as to let IK people have a chance to comment, Ji said that China would not make early announcement as she had to respect the confidentiality of the talks. He stressed that China had all along respected confidentiality. The statements that China had made were meant to state her position and to maintain outside confidence. He claimed that the British side had breached the confidentiality agreement as the Governor kept ExCo informed of the negotiations' deliberations;
(Buhit Brow)
(h) on whether the DB system would be changed after 1997, Ji said that existing systems would continue and that China was still considering the "question of election", although he did not specify whether he was referring to DB election or any future election for the central assembly;
(i) the Group had not submitted any joint statement, although Cheng Mui-tin and Tang Kwok-yung did submit their personal views in writing. Tang's statement was already published in the press and Cheng's was understood to be similar; and
CONFIDENTI
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