OCMIAN 3283
CONFIDENTIAL
OO HOKON
FM FCOLN TO HOKON
131320Z JUN
GRS 252
CONFIDENTIAL
43283 - 2
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1137
OF 13132OZ JUNE 86
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
HKROIO
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 1 8 JUN 1986
STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT: VIEWS OF SIR Y K PAO
1.
DURING SIR Y K PAO'S STAY IN LONDON THIS WEEK HE CALLED ON (AMONG OTHERS) THE PRIME MINISTER, THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND MR RENTON. WITH ALL THREE HE FLOATED THE IDEA THAT A HONG KONG
CHINESE 'DEPUTY GOVERNOR' OUGHT TO BE APPOINTED IN HONG KONG
BEFORE LONG. ON ONE OCCASION THE VIEW WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE
CHINESE: AT OTHER TIMES HE DESCRIBED IT AS A PERSONAL
SUGGESTION.
2.
SIR Y K APPEARED TO HAVE IN MIND THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S POSITION. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE APPOINTMENT MIGHT BE MADE AS EARLY AS NEXT YEAR. AFTER 1990 THERE MIGHT BE A CASE FOR HAVING
TWO 'DEPUTY GOVERNORS'. THE APPOINTEE WOULD OF COURSE HAVE TO BE A NEUTRAL PERSON, AND WOULD HAVE TO BE CHOSEN JOINTLY BY BRITAIN AND CHINA. SIR Y K SUGGESTED THAT THIS WOULD PROVIDE A BASIS ON
WHICH WE COULD SEEK TO HAVE A BRITISH DEPUTY GOVERNOR AFTER 1997,
ALTHOUGH HE WOULD HAVE TO BE CALLED AN ADVISOR.
3.
IN EACH CASE MINISTERS RESPONDED NON-COMMITTALLY. IT
WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE YOUR COMMENTS ON WHAT SIR Y K PROPOSED. HAS A SIMILAR SUGGESTION BEEN MADE BY OTHERS IN HONG KONG? IS THERE ANY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE CHINESE COULD HAVE BEEN BEHIND IT? COULD IT BE THAT SIR Y K HAD HIMSELF IN MIND?
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