GRS 180
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2107
OF 09064OZ OCTOBER 85
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
194
CONFIDENTIAL
PA
YOUR TELNO 1501: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AND THE BASIC LAW
WE AGREE WITH PARA 1 OF YOUR TEL UNDER REF. BUT TO SAY THAT THE
DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW IS ''PRIMARILY'' A MATTER FOR THE
CHINESE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT, TO MY MIND, NECESSARILY IMPLY THAT HMG
OR THE HKG MIGHT HAVE A ROLE IN THE DRAFTING PROCESS. WE HAVE
BEEN USING THIS FORMULATION IN HONG KONG AND THERE HAS BEEN NO
ADVERSE REACTION FROM THE CHINESE.
2. I ALSO AGREE WITH PARA 3 OF TUR, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE KEEN NOT
TO SAY ANYTING WHICH SUGGESTS THAT WE ACCEPT THAT THE DRAFTING
OF THE BASIC LAW IS (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) ENTIRELY A MATTER FOR THE CHINESE. GIVEN THIS, AND SINCE THE USE OF 'PRIMARILY HAS
NOT CAUSED ANY PROBLEM SO FAR, WE WOULD PREFER TO CONTINUE TO
USE IT. BUT WE DO NOT FEEL STRONGLY ON THE ISSUE. WE CAN ALWAYS
USE THE PHRASE THE (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) ACTUAL DRAFTING''
USED BY THE P.M.
YOUDE
1
HKK Ollll
IFCENTED IN REGISTRY 10 OCT 1985
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
LIMITED
XD/ HID
1957
DESK OFFICEN
INDEX
"EGISTRY
PA
on Taken
HD/ TED
HD/ PLANNING STAFF
ED/ PUSD
DEP ID/ PUSD
RESEARCH D (MR WALKER)
PS
PS/LADY YOUNG
PS/MR RENTON
PS/PUS
SIR W HARDING
DR WILSON
COPIES TO:
MR ROBERTS,
MR FIFOOT,
NEWS DEPT LEGAL ADVISERS
MR MARTIN, ASSESSMENT STAFF,
CABINET OFFICE.
SIR P CRADOCK, NO.10 DOWNING STR.
CONFIDENTIAL
}
•