CONFIDENTIAL
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RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW IS
IMPLIED. IN THE LAST SENTENCE TO THIS PARAGRAPH WE HAVE
ALSO MADE IT CLEAR THAT IT IS 'THE CHINESE DECISION' TO
CONSULT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
WE HAVE REDRAFTED PARAGRAPH 15 ON REPRESENTATIVE
GOVERNMENT TO READ AS FOLLOWS: 'FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN WORKING TO DEVELOP IN
HONG KONG A GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE BASED SECURELY UPON
EXISTING INSTITUTIONS WHICH AT ALL LEVELS WOULD BE BOTH
RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING SOCIETY
AND APPROPRIATE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF HONG KONG'S
STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.' WE THINK THAT THE PHRASE
'AND WHICH COULD ENDURE' WILL BE SEEN BY THE CHINESE AS
CONFIRMING THAT WE INTEND TO TRY AND FORCE THE CHINESE TO
DRAFT THE BASIC LAW ACCORDINGLY.
WE HAVE CHANGED 'WHAT FURTHER CHANGES SHOULD TAKE PLACE
IN 1988' IN THE THIRD FROM LAST SENTENCE TO PARAGRAPH 22 TO READ 'WHETHER, AND IF SO, WHAT FURTHER CHANGES SHOULD
TAKE PLACE IN 1988'. WE THINK THIS IS NECESSARY IF WE
ARE TO MAINTAIN OUR POSITION THAT WE HAVE NO PRECONCEIVED
IDEAS ABOUT THE RESULTS OF THE 1987 REVIEW. WE HAVE ALSO
CHANGED TO ACT ON CONSTRUCTIVE PUBLIC COMMENT' IN THE
LAST SENTENCE OF THIS PARAGRAPH TO READ TO RESPOND TO
CONSTRUCTIVE PUBLIC COMMENT'.
WE HAVE CHANGED THE SECOND SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 26 ON
THE CIVIL SERVICE TO READ 'THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
ANNOUNCED THAT BY CONTINUING WITH THEIR LOCALISATION
POLICY THEY WERE CONFIDENT THAT SUFFICIENT LOCAL PEOPLE
WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO FILL TOP POSTS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE
BEFORE 1997.' THIS IS TO TRY TO AVOID CHINESE
SENSITIVITIES ABOUT WHO WILL CHOOSE AND APPOINT SUCH
PEOPLE AFER 1997.
WE HAVE REVISED THE PENULTIMATE SENTENCE OF PARA 52 ON
SECURITY TO READ 'SUBSEQUENT ARRESTS OF EVADERS IN THE
URBAN AREAS HAVE RESULTED IN RATES OF ARREST IN THE LAST
FEW YEARS WHICH ARE PROBABLY CLOSE TO 100 PER CENT'.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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