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DESKBY 22010OZ PEKING
FM HONG KONG 2003157 APR 85
2 C APR 1935
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 762 OF 20 APRIL
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING¬
84
MY TELNO 544 : DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIONAL GOVERNMENT
IN HONG KONG.
NY
**Un
1. IF THE CHINESE RAISE THE ISSUE DURING MY JIANGSU VISIT I PROPOSE
TO TAKE THE FOLLOWING LINE:
2. OUR STARTING POINTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE
GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG DURING THE PERIOD OF BRITISH ADMINISTRATION
ARE
(A) THE FIRST PART OF ANNEX 1 OF THE JOINT DECLARATION WHICH SETS
OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATURE OF THE HONG KONG SAR SHOULD
BE COMPOSED OF LOCAL INHABITANTS: A CHIEF EXECUTIVE IS TO BE
SELECTED BY ELECTION OR CONSULTATION: THE PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS ARE
TO BE NOMINATED BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE: THE LEGISLATURE WILL BE
CONSTITUTED BY ELECTIONS AND THE EXECUTIVE SHALL BE ACCOUNTABLE
TO THE LEGISLATURE,
(B) THE PRINCIPLES SET OUT IN OUR WHITE PAPER WHICH WE BELIEVE TO
BE FULLY CONSISTENT WITH THAT ANNEX. THE MAIN AIMS OF THE PROPOSAL
ARE:
(1) TO DEVELOP PROGRESSIVELY A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT THE AUTHORITY
FOR WHICH IS FIRMLY ROOTED IN HONG KONG, WHICH IS ABLE TO REPRESENT AUTHORITATIVELY THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AND WHICH IS
MORE DIRECTLY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG:
(11) TO BUILD THIS SYSTEM ON OUR EXISTING INSTITUTIONS, WHICH HAVE
SERVED HONG KONG WELL, AND, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, TO PRESERVE THEIR
BEST FEATURES, INCLUDING THE MAINTENANCE OF THE WELL ESTABLISHED
PRACTICE OF GOVERNMENT BY CONSENSUS: AND
(111) TO ALLOW FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT IF THAT SHOULD BE THE
WISH OF THE COMMUNITY.
3. WE TRUST THE CHINESE WILL AGREE THAT THE SYSTEM WILL NEED TO BE SEEN TO HAVE SUPPORT OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG IF IT IS TO GIVE
CONFIDENCE THAT THE PRINCIPLE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE RULING HONG KONG
WILL BE OBSERVED.
CONFIDENTIAL
14.