JH1AHN
CONFIDENTIAL
SIR Y K PAO'S CALL ON THE PRIME MINISTER: 21 MARCH 1986
Essential Facts
1. Sir Y K Pao last called on the Prime Minister on 3 October
1985.
Basic Law
2.
Y
Sir K Pao was invited by the Chinese to become â
Vice-Chairman (one of 8) of the Basic Law Drafting Committee
(BLDC) in June 1985. The BLDC has 59 members (23 from Hong Kong) and is
is chaired by Ji Pengfei, Director of
Pengfei, Director of State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Office. The Hong Kong members of the BLDC
have established a Basic Law Consultative Committee (BLCC) in
the territory.
The BLCC has 150 members from a wide Crass
section of Hong Kong society, including 15 expatriates.
3.
We have welcomed the Chinese decision to consult Hong Kong
people in a wide basis on the drafting of the Basic Law. The
Chinese are trying to deal carefully with Hong Kong opinion but
the way they engineered the appointment of the seven office
holders of the BLCC against its constitution (probably with Sir Y K's cooperation) shook confidence in their willingness really
to consult the people of Hong Kong.
4.
We understand the programme for the drafting of the Basic
Law to be:-
(a)
(b)
be
BLCC will collect views. Preliminary text will
produced by the drafting committee in early
1998. This will be published in Hong Kong for
further consultation by the BLCC;
Draft Basic Law for submission to the Chinese
National People's Congress (NPC) Standing
Committee will be produced in late 1988/early
1989. Draft then published in Hong Kong;
CONFIDENTIAL
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