1
GRS 750
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DESKBY 1214OOZ (FCO)
DESKBY 13010OZ (HONG KONG)
FROM PEKING 12120DZ JUNE 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1094 OF 12/6/84
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR CLIFT FROM GOVERNOR:
YOUR TEL NO 1551: FUTURE EGRET:
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT ETC
1. SUBJECT TO COMMENTS FROM HONG KONG MY IMMEDIATE
REACTION IS AS FOLLOWS. THE QUESTIONS IN YOUR TUR RAISE TWO
ISSUES. THE FIRST IS A SUBSTANTIVE ONE OF POLICY.
THE SECOND IS WHEN WE GIVE A PUBLIC INDICATION OF THAT
POLICY.
2. AS I UNDERSTAND IT IT IS HMG'S POLICY TO ESTABLISH THE MAXIMUM DEGREE OF LOCALLY BASED POLITICAL POWER IN
HONG KONG BEFORE 1997: AND A LOCALLY ELECTED GOVERNOR (RATHER
THAN ONE CHOSEN BY PEKING) IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IN THIS PLAN. IT IS ON THIS BASIS THAT ANNEX 1 TO OUR ORIGINAL
DRAFT AGREEMENT AS GIVEN TO THE CHINESE PROVIDES THAT THE GOVERNOR
SHALL BE ELECTED.
3. THE CHINESE CONCEPT IS DIFFERENT.
THEIR PROPOSAL IS THAT THE CHINEF EXECUTIVE SHOULD BE CHOSEN
**BY CONSULTATION OR ELECTION.'' IT IS ALMOST CERTAINLY
THEIR INTENTION THAT THE FIRST GOVERNOR, TO BE CHOSEN
BY CONSULTATION SHOULD BE A CANDIDATE ACCEPTABLE TO THEM
AND ONLY AFTER THAT WOULD HE BE CONFIRMED IN OFFICE BY ELECTIONS. THEY WILL NOT GIVE EXPLICIT AGREEMENT TO OUR PLAN.
4. I ASSUME THAT IT IS STILL HMG' S INTENTION NOT TO DEPART FROM
THE POLICY SET OUT IN PARA 2 ABOVE EVEN THOUGH WE ARE UNLIKELY TO GET CHINESE AGREEMENT TO IT AND THEY MAY SEEK TO MAKE THE EXEC-
UTION OF IT IMPOSSIBLE. THE BEST WE SHALL GET IS THEIR
ACQUIESCENCE.
.
5. IF THAT IS STILL HMG'S POLICY IT WILL HAVE TO BE REVEALED SOMETIME. THE EFFECT ON THE CHINESE WILL BE THE SAME WHENEVER
WE MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
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16.
B.