9. AFTER THANING THE SECRETARY OF STATE, SIR SY CHUNG SAID THAT HE HOPED HIG WOULD PRESS HARD FOR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION BY HONG KONG PEOPLE IN THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW, 1990 MIGHT DE T00 EARLY FOR THE CONSTITUTIONAL CHAPTER SINCE IT WOULD BE DESIRADLE TO WAIT UNTIL THE PROCESS OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG HAD BEEN COMPLETED AND DECIDED BEFORE DEFINING THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT IN THE SAR. BUT THERE WAS NO REASON WHY THE DRAFTING OTHER PARTS OF THE BASIC LAW SHOULD NOT START SOON.
MISS TAM THOUGHT IT NIGHT BE HELPFUL IF THE BASIC LAW WENT NO FURTHER THAN THE AGREEMENT ON GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE (THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID IT WAS HIS IMPRESSION THAT PEOPLE WOULD PREFER THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE TO BE SET OUT IN MORE DETAIL). MR CHEUNG SAID IT WOULD BE RASH TO ASSUME THAT THE CHINESE WOULD ADOPT WHATEVER STRUCTURE WE DEVELOPED IN THE PERIOD UP TO 1997.
10. SIR S Y EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT AT THE CHINESE POSITION ON PARTICIPATION BY HONG KONG PEOPLE IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. THE EXCLUSION OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WOULD PE PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT ONCE HONG KONG HAD AN ELECTED LEGISLATURE. HE HOPED THAT HMG WOULD BE ABLE TO PERSUADE THE CHINESE TO RECONSIDER. SIR 3 Y ACCEPTED THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S ADVICE ON CONSCRIPTION AND WELCOMED WHAT HE HAD SAID ABOUT V.N. REGISTRATION. HE HOPED HE WOULD CONTINUE TO PRESS THE CHINESE ON THE LATTER POINT.
11. SIR S Y SAID THAT HE WAS NOT SURPRISED THAT THE CHINESE HAD REACTED ADVERSELY TO THE PROPOSED TITLE FOR THE NEW NATIONALITY STATUS. IN HIS VIEW, THIS SUGGESTED THAT IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO CHANGE THE BOTC TITLE TOO SOON, UNLESS AN EQUALLY ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE COULD BE FOUND. MR SANDBERG SUGGESTED LATER THAT IF THE CHINESE WOULD NOT ACCEPT BRITISH NATIONAL: HONG KONG' WE SHOULD TRY ''BRITISH NATIONAL, WITH AN APPROPRIATE REFERENCE IN THE PASSPORT TO THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG.
12. FOR DISCUSSION ON THE DRAFT HONG KONG BILL SEE MIFT.
YOUDE
HONG KONG AGREEMENT
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
HD/PLANNING STAFF
HD/PUSD
DEP HD/PUSD
RESEARCH DEPT (MR WALKER) PS
PS/MR LUCE
PS/PUS
SIR W HARD ING
MR WILSON
SIR J FREELAND
MR J CROWLEY, PUSD
3
COPIES TO:(VIA ADR)
MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT
MR FIFOOT. LEGAL ADVISERS MR BURROWS, LEGAL ADVISERS
MR MARTIN, ASST STAFF CABINET
OFFICE
MR CARTLEDGE, CABINET OFFICE MR COLVIN, CABINET OFFICE SIR P CRADOCK, NO 10 DOWNING ST
CONFIDENTIAL