GRS 130
SECRET
FM1 PEKING
TO DESKBY 29090OZ FCO
TELNO 2059
HKK !! Secret
OF 2907417 OCTOBER 86
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONS
(423)
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 31 OCT 1986
HET
1429
DESK OFFICERTORU
INDEX
PA
[Action Taken"
ย
YOUR TELNO'S 2402 AND 2476-9 TO HONG KONG: PAPERS FOR AD (K):
PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.
431
PY
See432
1. WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE REDRAFTED PAPER:-
1
(A) PARAGRAPH 25, LAST SENTENCE (IN BRACKETS). AS DRAFTER, THIS IS
A LITTLE MISLEADING. THE REASON CHINESE MEMBERS HAVE?NOT FORMALLY
EXPRESSED AN OPINION IS THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS STILL UNSUPE
OF THE RIGHT WAY FORWARD. WE SUGGEST THIS BE REDRAFTED AS FOLLOWS:-
**CHINESE MEMBERS HAVE NOT SO FAR EXPRESSED AN OPINION. WHEN THEY DO SO,
IT MAY BE ASSUMED THAT IT WILL REFLECT THE VIEW THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO TAKE.
(B) PARAGRAPH 34. THE THIRD SENTENCE SEEMS OVER-COMPRESSED. WE
SUGGEST A REDRAFT AS FOLLOWS :-
''THE INTRODUCTION OF A DIRECTLY-ELECTED ELEMENT COULD RE SEEN IN
HONG KONG AS A SYMBOL OF OUR DETERMINATION TO WORK FOR HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY FOR THE TERRITORY POST-1997 AND OF THE WILLINGNESS OF THE CHINESE TO ALLOW IT. IN PRACTICE, HOWEVER, SUCH AN ELEMENT IN 1983 WOULD BY NO MEANS GUARANTEE A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY FOR HONG
KONG POST-1997. THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE ACHIEVED BY A MUCH WIDER
VARIETY OF MEANS.'t
2. WE HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED YOUR TELNO 2403-5 ON THE GOVERNOR AND
THE CHIEF EXECTUVE. WE SHALL COMMENT AS SOON AS WE DO.
EVANS
YYYY
PEHPAN 0945
LIMITED
HKD
MR
GILLMORE
MR WILSON
Secret