Redacted under FOI Exemption S 27(1)
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24.
The Chinese have long been highly suspicious about direct
elections (although, as noted below, they maintain to us that they
are not opposed to them in principle). Their concern about the possible effects of direct elections appears
elections appears to have grown in the past few months, probably as a result of divisions and confrontation
in the Legislative Council over construction of the Daya Bay nuclear
plant in Guangdong province of China, near Hong Kong. Hong Kong
business leaders in contact with the Chinese tend to oppose direct
elections and to tell them so. Moreover, the sub-committee of the
Basic Law Drafting Committee drafting the relevant section of the
Basic Law at present has a substantial majority against direct
Not even the Hong Kong members are unanimously in
elections.
favour.
Exchanges with the Chinese
25.
In order to overcome
this mistrust and lessen the risk of
conflict over the 1987 review and the Basic Law we have sought since
May 1986 to intensify contacts with the Chinese and to establish an
informal dialogue on the issues involved. There have been three
discussions at Foreign Minister level and detailed exchanges between
officials, in which the Governor of Hong Kong has participated.
26.
On general issues connected with "convergence" and the drafting of the Basic Law we have managed to put across our ideas better than we had anticipated. We have passed to the Chinese a
series of papers on various aspects: they have accepted and even
welcomed our involvement. We hope this will help to fashion a Basic Law acceptable and appropriate to Hong Kong.
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