CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2407
OF 040455Z NOVEMBER 85
CONFIDENTIAL HKK 040/2
нин
RECEIVED
INDEX
-
-CSTRY
4 NOV 1985
130)
REGISTRY Action Taken
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
FUTURE OF HONG KONG : BASIC LAW.
MANY NEWSPAPERS TODAY REPORTED THE ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG OF TWO MAINLAND CHINESE MEMBERS OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE (BLDC) : MR. FEI XIAOTONG AMD MDM. LIE JIEQIONG. THEY WERE AMONG SEVEN MEMBERS OF A CHINESE DELEGATION ATTENDING AN INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON ''MODERNIZATION AND THE CHINESE CULTURE', ORGANIZED BY THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG.
2. MR. FEI, A VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE BLDC, IS A VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S POLITICAL CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIOLOGY INSTITUTE OF THE CHINESE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES. MADAM LEI, A MEMBER OF THE BLDC, IS A MEMBER OF THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE LAW COMMITTEE OF THE NPC.
3. PRESS REPORTS QUOTED BOTH AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE AND HONG KONG MEMBERS OF THE BLDC HAD HAD NO CONTACT SINCE THE COMMITTEE'S FIRST MEETING IN JULY, BUT THAT INDIVIDUAL CHINESE MEMBERS WERE DOING THE IR OWN STUDIES OF THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG, AND WERE BEING REGULARLY KEPT INFORMED BY THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS IN ORGANIZING THE BASIC LAW CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE IN HONG KONG. MDM. LEI WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE INFORMATION THEY RECEIVED CENTRED MOSTLY ON THE BASIC LAW, AND DID NOT INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG'S POLITICAL REFORMS, ON WHICH THEY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE. MR. FEI SAID THAT, AS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THEIR VISIT TO HONG KONG ON THIS OCCASION WAS TO TAKE PART IN THE SEMINAR ORGANIZED BY CUHK, THEY WOULD NOT FORMALLY MEET THE LOCAL BLDC MEMBERS. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE COULD NOT SEE WHAT DIFFICULTIES THERE WOULD BE IN DRAFTING THE BASIC LAW, BUT EVEN IF THERE WERE DIFFICULTIES THEY COULD BE RESOLVED. NEITHER WOULD BE DRAWN ON PLANS FOR THE REPORTED VISITS BY THE CHINESE MEMBERS OF THE BLDC. MR. FEI, HOWEVER, SAID THAT HE HIMSELF WOULD VISIT HONG KONG AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
4. THE CHINESE DELEGATION WILL LEAVE HONG KONG ON 16 NOVEMBER.
YOUDE
*HONG KONG AGREEMENT
LIMITED
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DEP HD/PUSD
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SIR W HARDING
MR WILSON
SIR J FREELAND
MR J CROWLEY PUSD
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CABINET OFFICE
SIR P CRADDOCK NO 10 DOWNING ST. MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS
CONFIDENTIAL