PUT
тоб
NEGATIVEN FOR BRIDSH ROLE: SUGGESTS BOBSEQUENT SUBORD, NATION BETER
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Your MORE NEUTRALLY if the wis
THERE WAS AN INCONSISTENCE
to including in the review the question of direct elections. At the same time the Chinese Government and the BLDC will be considering the structure of government for the SAR in 1997. The first draft of the Basic Law will be published in 1988. It is very important that
there should be
the outcome of these two
Particular difficulty would be caused if a decision taken by the British side at the end of 1987
the end of 1987 was inconsistent with
the provisions in the draft Basic Law published by the Chinese
exercises.
no
conflict between
Government in the following year. This would call into question
1
a smooth
and convergence"
confidence in, Hong Kong: and weaken the basis cooperation [with the Chinese Government th
The Chinese attitude
greatly damage
in transition
1997:
for
[our]
nec
ecessary]
the
THE
22.
known
their
concern
at
Hong Kong.
the past year the Chinese have on many occasions made
the direction and
of constitutional pace
development
November 1985 their de facto
of "deviations from representative in Hong Kong publicly accused us
seriously
in
the Joint Declaration",
a
In
statement which
now done much
jolted
re-establish to
a
Although confidence.
have we
relationship of mutual trust over these issues, Chinese nervousness
remains.
23.
The Chinese do The Chinese concerns appear to be twofold. not want us to announce decisions about major constitutional change (in particular over direct elections
direct elections to the Legislative Council) in
Law in 1990. advance of the promulgation of the Basic
They fear that the impression could be given that important provisions in the Basic Law had been imposed on them by our pre-emptive action through the review. They want to avoid a choice between making stipulations in the Basic Law which are in actual or potential conflict with the prevailing constitutional structure in Hong Kong and incorporating On at least one occasion stipulations which they do not desire.
choice, they choice, they have said explicitly that, if faced with such a would go for the former option. On the substance, they fear (as do
evolution rapid
many
Hong
Kong
an
of.
in
itself) that too representative government could lead to instability and the divisive effects of party politics.
STRESS: EARLIER? MORE GENERALLY?
Stress: earth? morgenwollen?
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