Arrangements for covergence seem to be getting somewhere
A report in the Hong Kong Economic Journal
of 9 January read as follows: "A source close to the Hong Kong Government told HKEJ reporter that the Green Paper on representative government to be published in 1987 will not propose any changes to the relationship between the ExCo and LegCo or to the power status of the Governor. It will only come up with a proposal on the LegCo's structure in 1988. This is done to avoid touching the most curcual part of the constitution, thus preventing a conflict with
Beijing.'
and
"
wrong (?)
"The present thinking of top officials in the Hong Kong Government is that the 1987 review will only be confined to matters concerning the LegCo's structive and direct election. It will come up with a number of proposals on changes in the LegCo's structure in 1988 and will consult the public.
11
The Joint Liaison Group will be meeting in Hong Kong in March this year and will disucss the question of convergence between representative government and the Basic Law. In April, the Basic Law Drafting Committee will draw up the skeleton of the Basic Law and a working group will be set up to work full-time on the drafting of the Basic Law. Many professionals in Hong Kong demanded that the part of the Basic Law on the territory's constitution should be given priority treatment inthe drafting. Beijing attaches importance to this view and both Ji Pengfei and Xu Jiatun said that it would be given due consideration. As far as progress is concerned, a draft can be produced by 1988, outlining the relationship between the legislature and the executive body, the powers of the Chief Executive, the relationship between the Central Government and the regional government, the election system and the
/ method