DSR 11 (Revised)
DRAFT:
minute/letter/teleletter/despatch/note
FROM:
SECRETARY OF STATE
DEPARTMENT:
TEL. NO:
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION| TO:
Top Secret
Secret
Confidential
Restricted
Unclassified
Prime Minister
LONDON
TYPE: Draft/Final 1+
Reference
Your Reference
Copies to:
PRIVACY MARKING
CAVEAT.
SUBJECT:
....In Confidence FUTURE OF HONG KONG:
Enclosures-flag(s)..
:
WORKING PAPER ON CONSTITUTIONAL
GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES
ARRANGEMENTS AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES
In my minute of 9 January I referred to the
preparation of working papers on the key issues relating
to Hong Kong's future and emphasised that they would need
very careful study. My officials have prepared these
papers in close co-operation with Hong Kong and Peking.
Mr Luce also discussed them in general terms at his
meeting with the Governor and the Unofficial Members of
EXCO on 17 January.
I attach a draft working paper on Constitutional
Arrangements and Central Government Structures, which
takes into account the points made at this meeting and
subsequent comments from the Governor and the Ambassador.
This paper is one of the most sensitive that we have had
to produce It places great emphasis on the continuity
of Hong Kong institutions and of their functions, powers
and composition after July 1997, whilst recognising that
·
some changes will be necessary as a
a result of the removal
of colonial links. It stresses that the new SAR should
SECRET
/itself
56.ST D20302AEN