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5. EXCO SAW NO MERIPT IN THE PROPOSAL IN PARA 4 OF YOUR THIRD TUR
THAT THE PRESENT TIMETABLE FOR THE 1987 REWHEW MIGHT BE ALLOWED TO
SLIP. FOR PURELY PRACTICAL REASONS THE GREEN PAPER MUST BE ISSUED EARLY PN 1987, SO THAT THE WHITE PAPER CAN BE PUBLISHED NO LATER
THAN DECEMBER 1987 TO ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE NECESSARY
LEGISLATION TO BE IN PLACE BEFORE THE 1988 ELECTIONS. TO RETASIN
THIS TIMETABLE IS NOT BEING INFLEXIBLE: IT IS NECESSARY IN ORDER
TO MAINTAIN CONFIDENCE AND TO ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE
VARIOUS PROCESSES INVOLVED.
6. NOR DID EXCO SEE ANY ADVANTAGE IN ASKΜNG THE CHINESE TO
ACCELERATE THEIR OWN BASIC LAW DRAFTING PROGRAMME. ON THE CONTRARY,' THEY BELIEVED THAT THIS COULD ONLY LEAD TO PRESSURE IN HONG KONG
ON US TO ADVANCE OUR GREEN PAPER TO KEEP AHEAD OF THE CHINESE. IN
ANY CASE, ASSUMING THE BLDC ADHERE TO THEIR CURRENT TARGET DATES,'
ITS SPECIAL GROUP ON THE POLITICAL SYSTEM WILL MAKE HTS
RECOMMENDATIONS ON SAR GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE IN SUMMER 1987. PUBLIC
DISCUSSION ON THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND ON THE GREEN PAPER WILL
THUS TAKE PLACE CONCURRENTLY. MOREOVER, THE BLDC MTSELF IS LIKELY
TO CONSIDER THESE RECOMMENDATIONS IN AUTUMN 1987. THERE IS
THEREFORE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT CONVERGENCE AND COMPATIBL:NTY
BETWEEN THE WHITE PAPER TO BE PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER 1987, AND THE
RELEVANT PROWISHONS OF THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW, CAN BE
ACHIEVED IN THE PROCESS. THE POINT OF DECISION FOR US ON THESE
MATTERS HIS THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER.
7. IN ANY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE IN THE MEANTIME, # SUGGEST THAT WE SHOULD REPEAT VERY CLEARLY AND FIRMLY WHAT MR RENTON HAS
SAID TO ZHOU NAN (AND WHAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAD TO WU XUEQFAN ON 23 MAY), '*.E. THAT HMG ¡IS COMMITTED TO THE 1987 REVIEW, LEADING TO A WHITE PAPER IN DECEMBER 1987 WHICH MUST TAKE CAREFUL
ACCOUNT OF LOCAL ASPIRATIONS AND CONSENSUS. MOREOVER, AS 4 SUGGESTED IN PARA. 2 OF MY TELNO 1812, WE SHOULD MAKE THE POINT THAT, GIVEN THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TO PARLIAMENT FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UP TO 1997, HMG WILL HAVE TO COME TO
THEIR OWN DECISIONS ON THE BASIS OF THEIR OWN REVIEW. {THUS
PNDICATING EXPLICITLY OR MMPLICITLY THAT WE DO NOT INTEND TO ALLOW
THE BLDC ALONE TO DETERMINE THESE MATTERS OR TO SIMPLY FALL MEN
WITH WHAT THEY DECHDE). WE WILL KEEP AN OPEN MIND ON THE FINAL
OUTCOME OF OUR REVIEW AND NATURALLY HOPE THAT THE RESULTS OF T
WILL ACCORD WITH THE RESULTS OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING EXERCISE.
THAT IS THE OBJECT OF THE PAPERS THAT WE HAVE PUT TO THE CHINESE
AND THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED. ATTEMPTS TO SUPPRESS OR
DELAY A DECISION ON A CRUCIAL PART OF THE REWEW WILL HAVE THE
MOST SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR HMG AND HKG. PUBLIC CONFIDENCE UN
AND WITHIN HONG KONG WILL BE SHAKEN AND THIS WILL NOT BE IN THE
INTERESTS OF CHINA.
8.
WITH REGARD TO JLG IV, # DOUBT HE IT WOULD BE WISE TO RAISE THIS SUBJECT IN THE WAY SUGGESTED IN PARA 6 OF THIRD TUR. THIS WOULD
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IRON