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Tel No 1001). This is strange. But it may be relevant that the memorandum they had before then was vaguer than the Green Paper both about the method of selecting the Governor and whether he would be local (paras 6(d) and 25 of the EXCO memorandum). Some will see these proposals as a withdrawal of British administration prior to 1997.
3. The above considerations lead me to the view that it would be better for the Green Paper to deal in detail with elections to LEGCO and EXCO but in more general terms at this stage with changes in the position of Governor. The position of the Governor could then be considered in more detail later following the signing of an agreement and after discussion with the Chinese. If, however, it is considered that it is already too late to go back on this part of the proposals, or, as is argued in para 9 of the covering commentary, that an imprecise approach will not be seen in Hong Kong as sufficient, then I believe we must at least make sure that the Chinese are warned in general terms in advance and not just immediately before publication. If there were a strong adverse Chinese reaction which seemed likely to jeopardise the negotiations, we should have to consider revising that part of the proposals before publication. This would be both awkward and embarrassing; but less so than having to deal with a strong Chinese reaction after publication.
8 June 1984
D C WILSON
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