GRS 350
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG 120755Z MAR 85
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 508 OF 12 MARCH
INE
REK 048/21
1 2 HAR 1985
9
w
at
BASIC LAW: REPORTS IN TA KUNG PAO AND WEN WEI PAO.
1. TODAY'S TA KUNG PAO CARRIES AS ITS FRONT PAGE LEAD AND WEN WEI
PO AS BACK PAGE LEAD ALMOST IDENTICAL STORIES QUOTING
''AUTHORITATIVE SOURCES FROM PEKING' AS SAYING THAT AT LEAST
10 HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE DRAFTING OF THE
BASIC LAW. SUB-HEADLINES SAY THAT THESE COULD INCLUDE HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND UMELCO MEMBERS IN THEIR PERSONAL
CAPACITIES. MOST INDEPENDENT PAPERS ALSO CARRY THE SAME STORY.
2. THE ARTICLES QUOTE THE SOURCE AS SAYING THAT THIS PROPOSAL WILL BE PUT TO THE NPC SESSION WHICH IS DUE TO MEET SHORTLY, AND THAT CHINESE LEADERS ARE INCLINED TO SUPPORT THE IDEA. THE ARTICLES
FURTHER SAY THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WELL UNDERSTANDS THE DEMAND OF HONG KONG PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN DRAFTING THE BASIC LAW AND
TO PUT FORWARD THEIR OPINIONS. THE ARTICLES SAY THAT HONG KONG
PEOPLE WILL OCCUPY A SIZEABLE PROPORTION OF PLACES ON THE DRAFTING COMMITTEE, BELIEVED TO BE MORE THAN 10 OUT OF A COMMITTEE NUMBER ING ALTOGETHER '' SEVERAL TENS OF PEOPLE'', MAYBE AROUND 50.
3. IF THIS SUGGESTION IS APPROVED BY THE NPC, IT IS EXPECTED THAT
THE COMMITTEE MIGHT COME INTO EFFECT FROM MID TO LATE APRIL.
AT PRESENT NO NAMES HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD FOR THE DRAFTING
COMMITTEE AND THEREFORE PEKING WOULD WELCOME SUGGESTIONS FROM
HONG KONG PEOPLE AS TO WIDELY REPRESENTATIVE FIGURES WHO MIGHT
PARTICIPATE. THE SOURCE, AGREEING THAT THE HONG KONG PARTICIPANTS
SHOULD BE WIDELY REPRESENTATIVE, SAID THAT SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS
WOULD BE HONG KONG DELEGATES TO THE NPC AND CPPCC, BUT THERE WOULD
BE A NEED FOR OTHER HONG KONG PEOPLE. IN ORDER TO BE EVEN-HANDED,
THESE MIGHT INCLUDE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND UMELCO
MEMBERS IN THEIR PRIVATE CAPACITIES.
4. THE SOURCE ALSO SAID THAT THERE WERE TWO
GENERAL VIEWS ON HOW HK OPINIONS ABOUT THE BASIC LAW
SHOULD BE COLLECTED: ONE WAS TO ESTABLISH A CONSULTATIVE
COMMITTEE AND THE OTHER WAS TO FORM AN OPINION COLLECTION COMMITTEE.
AS REGARDS THE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE, IT COULD TAKE VARIOUS
FORMS AND COULD OPERATE IN VARIOUS WAYS, BUT THE CRUCIAL POINT
I WAS THAT