CONFIDENTIAL
14852
1
OCMIAN 4852
CONFIDENTIAL
PP HOKON
FM FCOLN TO HOKON
0810452 OCT
GRS 302
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELNO 1501
OF 0810452 OCTOBER 85
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
HKK 040/21
IN REGISTRY
- 9 OCT 1985
R
Ken
(05
6
PEKING TELNO 1422 AND YOUR TELNO 2079: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
AND THE BASIC LAW
1.
OUR POSITION IN FACT IS THAT THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW IS A MATTER FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, AND MINISTERS HAVE SAID SO PUBLICLY (EG THE PRIME MINISTER SAID SO TWICE AT HER PRESS CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG ON 21 DECEMBER 1984). WE THINK IT WOULD BE MOST UNWISE TO IMPLY THAT THE UK GOVERNMENT (OR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT) MIGHT HAVE ANY ROLE (EVEN A SECONDARY ONE) IN
THE DRAFTING PROCESS BECAUSE:
A)
IT WOULD NOT BE TRUE:
B)
IT WOULD BE LIKELY TO MAKE THE CHINESE THE MORE SENSITIVE TO ANY ATTEMPT ON OUR PART TO INFLUENCE THE DRAFTING
PROCESS INFORMALLY:
C)
2.
IT WOULD LEAD TO PRESSURE ON MINISTERS HERE TO SEEK A PART IN AND RESULTS FROM THE DRAFTING PROCESS WHICH WOULD
BE BEYOND THEIR POWER TO ACHIEVE.
THE FACT THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INVITED BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE PART IN THE DRAFTING PROCESS IS WELCOME, BUT WE DO NOT THINK IT CARRIES WITH IT THE IMPLICATION THAT HMG OR HKG HAVE A ROLE IN THAT PROCESS. THE MEMBERS OF THE BLDC AND BLCC HAVE BEEN CHOSEN IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITIES.
3.
OUR INTEREST IN THE BASIC LAW ITSELF (IE THE OUTCOME OF
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