GR 300
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See(57)
See(59
TOP COP See (59 011/3 See 61
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HICK
14FEB 1994
FM HONG KONG 13105OZ FEB 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 369 OF 13 FEBRUARY
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
48
No & Ry
YOUR TELNO 255: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: WORKING PAPER ON CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND CENTRAL STRUCTURES.
THIS PAPER AS REVISED TO MEET THE POINT MADE IN TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE HAS BEEN CIRCULATED TO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FOR DISCUSSION ON 15 FEBRUARY.
2. AS REGARDS THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO PARAGRAPH 4 OF THE CHINESE PLAN, AS WE UNDERSTAND IT, THE PRACTICE IN DRAFTING WORKING PAPERS HAS BEEN TO INCLUDE IN THE SECTION COVERING THE CHINESE PLAN THE ACTUAL TERMS OF THE CHINESE 12 POINT PLAN AS AMENDED BY LATER STATEMENTS BY THE CHINESE. THE AMENDMENT (WHICH WE HAVE INCLUDED) NOT ONLY ADDS TO THE CHINESE PLAN BUT WOULD APPEAR TO GO FURTHER THAN THE CHINESE HAVE PROPOSED SO FAR THE
ONLY APPOINTMENTS THE CHINESE HAVE INDICATED WOULD REQUIRE APPROVAL BY THE CENTRAL PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT ARE THOSE OF THE CS, FS AND AG AND NOT ALL QUOTE OTHER PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS UNQUOTE. YOU AND PEKING MAY THEREFORE WISH TO CONSIDER THE WORDING ON THIS SECTION FURTHER AND ADVISE ME PREFERABLY BEFORE THE PAPER IS DISCUSSED BY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
3. ON RECONSIDERATION WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING FURTHER POINTS ON THE TEXT OF THE PAPER:
(1) PARA 5, SECOND SENTENCE, THE REFERENCE TO QUOTE... IN SUBSIDIARY SAR LEGISLATION.... UNQUOTE IS INACCURATE. SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION IS SPECIFICALLY DEFINED IN THE INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE (CAP 1). IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WORKING PAPER IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE TO REFER SIMPLY TO QUOTE... IN SAR LEGISLATION UNQUOTE. THIS TERM WOULD THEN COVER BOTH ORDINANCES AND SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION AS DEFINED ABOVE.
...
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/ (2) PARA 18.