LBIAGE
BACKGROUND
RESTRICTED
Redacted under FOI Exemption S 27(1)
1.
In November 1984 the Hong Kong Government published a White
Paper entitled "The Further Development of Representative Government in Hong Kong". The Paper, which was endorsed by the Hong Kong Legislative Council (LEGCO) in January 1985, proposed:
(a)
(b)
(c)
an increase in the number of Unofficial members of LEGCO and a
decrease in the number of official (ie civil servant) members;
the selection of 24 of these Unofficials by indirect elections
based on geographical and functional constituencies; and
a
further review of developments towards more representative
government, including the possibility of direct elections to
LEGCO, in 1987.
2.
informal channels
over
the
extent
While they have not objected to these developments as such, the
Chinese have expressed considerable concern through formal and
and pace of further "democratisation" in Hong Kong between now and 1997. A particular point of concern to them is whether developments arising from the
1987 review will preempt their plans for Hong Kong's Government
structure post-1997, which will be embodied in the Basic Law that
they are now drafting.
Chinese concerns have been somewhat allayed since last year but
on this issue remains a potentially sensitive one..
3.
4.
No final decisons have yet been taken on what further