GRS 500
CONFIDENTAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1911
OF 19105OZ JUNE 86
CONTIDENTIRE
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Redacted under FOI Exemption S 27(1) likely in view of Chivere insolence on
YOUR TELNO 1137 STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT : WIEWS OF SIR Y.K. PAO
1. ALTHOUGH THE IDEA OF A CHINESE **DEPUTY GOVERNOR'' HAS NOT
BEEN IN CHURCULATION IN HONG KONG RECENTLY IT DID HAVE SOME CURRENCY TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO.
expatriates seler a
2.4T HAS ECHOES OF
keeping
Level
carlati-
in the Civil Service Chumer, feckom
INDEA
PA
AND OF
SIR Y.K'S OWN IDEA THAT ALL THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE DONE M'S FOR THE CHINESE AND BRITISH TO GET TOGETHER AND CHOOSE SOMEONE ACCEPTABLE
TO BOTH TO RUN HONG KONG THROUGH AND BEYOND THE TRANSFER OF
SOVEREIGNTY.
3. THE CHIEF SECRETARY IS IN EFFECT ALREADY DEPUTY GOVERNOR #N AS
FAR AS HE HIS NEXT HN SENIORITY TO THE GOVERNOR AND ACTS AS HIS
DEPUTY UNDER ARTICLE XVDNA OF THE LETTERS PATENT DURING SHORT
ABSENCES OR WHENEVER THE PUBLIC INTEREST SO REQUIRES. TO TRY TO
INSERT ANOTHER THIER «NTO THE SYSTEM WOULD RAMSE ALL SORTS OF
COMPLICATED ISSUES ABOUT POWERS AND THE RELALIONSHIPS WITH THE
FINANCIAL SECRETARY AND ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO HAVE THE RIGHT OF
DIRECT ACCESS TO THE GOVERNOR, SIR Y.K.S. IDEA ALSO TAKES NO
ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT WE SHALL NEED TO PLAN FOR A TRANSMISION
TO A CHIEF EXECUTANE, UNLESS HIS THOUGHT IS THAT ONE OF THE DEPUTY GOVERNORS SHOULD BE TRANSORMED INTO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE.
4. MF THE 4-DEA AS SET OUT IN PARA 2 OF YOUR TEL IS THAT BRITAIN AND
CHINA SHOULD JOINTLY CHOOSE ONE DEPUTY GOVERNOR AS EARLY AS NEXT
YEAR AND TWO DEPUTY GOVERNORS AFTER 1990, THEN THE IDEA HS FAR-FETCHED. DIRECT CHINESE PARTICIPATION IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF
HONG KONG WOULD BE ADVANCED BY ABOUT 7 YEARS.
5.
HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER SHR Y.K. HAD HIMSELF IN MIND: BUT AS
YOU KNOW HE HAS FAIRLY RECENTLY SUGGESTED INDIRECTLY THAT HE WOULD
BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT AN APPOINTMENT HIMSELF TO A SENIOR POST
ALTHOUGH HE SEEMED THEN TO BE THINKING OF EXCO.
-
6. ON THE OTHER HAND AM NOT CLEAR WHY YOU THINK THAT THE NOTION
OF A BRITISH DEPUTY GOVERNOR
DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE AFTER 1997
IF BY THIS IS MEANT EXPATRIATE
-
IS OUT OF THE QUESTION.
HKKON/L RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
25 JUN 1986
Х
CONFIDENTIAL
17.