SECRET
72501
1
19.
(I)
(II)
(III)
(IV)
OUR OBJECTIVES IN THESE AREAS MIGHT BE THE FOLLOWING:
THE POST OF DEPUTY GOVERNOR MIGHT BE CREATED IN 1992. A
SECOND TERM OF OFFICE WOULD SPAN THE CHANGE OF
SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997 (ANNEX PARAS 1-2):
AN INDIVIDUAL ACCEPTABLE TO OURSELVES AND THE CHINESE,
AND IF POSSIBLE SELECTED BY THE SAME PROCESS AS WOULD BE
USED AFTER 1997, WOULD OCCUPY THE POST OF DEPUTY
GOVERNOR, PERHAPS IN 1995, AND BECOME CHIEF EXECUTIVE ON
1 JULY 1997 (ANNEX PARA 3):
POWERS WOULD BE PROGRESSIVELY DEVOLVED TO THE INCUMBENTS
OF THE POST, ALTHOUGH ULTIMATE AUTHORITY WOULD REMAIN
WITH HMG IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT
DECLARATION (ANNEX PARAS 4-6):
BY 30 JUNE 1997 THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (DESIGNATE) SHOULD
EXERCISE ALL THE POWERS WHICH HE WOULD EXERCISE WHEN THE
HONG KONG SAR CAME INTO BEING. THE REMAINING POWERS
WOULD BE RETAINED BY THE GOVERNOR (ANNEX PARAS 7-8):
THE METHOD OF SELECTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WOULD
BRIDGE THE CHANGE OF SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997, BUT NOT OF THE
FIRST DEPUTY GOVERNOR, WOULD BE DETERMINED IN THE LIGHT
OF DISCUSSION WITH THE CHINESE (ANNEX PARAS 9-10).
INITIAL ACTION
(V)
20.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOULD PUT OUR IDEAS TO THE
CHINESE SOON, BEFORE THEIR PRESENT THINKING ABOUT THE FIRST CHIEF
EXECUTIVE BECOMES FIRM AND/OR PUBLIC. WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN
ESTABLISHING A USEFUL INFORMAL DIALOGUE WITH THEM ON ISSUES
RELATING TO CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG AND THE
DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW. IN THE COURSE OF THIS DIALOGUE THE
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY HAS PASSED TO HIS CHINESE
COUNTERPART A SERIES OF SHORT PAPERS WHICH HAVE HELPED TO GUIDE
DISCUSSION. DURING THE STATE VISIT TO CHINA THE FOREIGN' AND
COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY ALSO EXPLAINED TO HIS COUNTERPART THAT WE
WERE GIVING THOUGHT TO THE QUESTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE: THAT
WE SHOULD AVOID A CHIEF EXECUTIVE (DESIGNATE) WAITING IN THE
WINGS: AND THAT WE WOULD SOON PROVIDE THE CHINESE WITH OUR
DETAILED THOUGHTS ON THIS ISSUE.
2
SECRET