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PRE-EMPTIVE ACTION THROUGH THE REVIEW. THEY WANT TO AVOID THE
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 STIPULATIONS WHICH THEY
DO NOT DESIRE. ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION THEY HAVE SAID
EXPLICITLY THAT, IF FACED WITH SUCH A CHOICE, THEY WOULD GO FOR THE FORMER OPTION. ON THE SUBSTANCE, THEY FEAR (AS DO MANY IN HONG KONG ITSELF) THAT TOO RAPID AN EVOLUTION OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT COULD LEAD TO INSTABILITY AND THE DIVISIVE EFFECTS OF
PARTY POLITICS.
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 TO HAVE GROWN IN
THE PAST FEW MONTHS, PROBABLY AS A RESULT OF DIVISIONS AND CONFRONTATION IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OVER THE 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-GROUP OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE DRAFTING
THE RELEVANT SECTION OF THE BASIC LAW AT PRESENT HAS A
SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY AGAINST DIRECT ELECTIONS. NOT EVEN THE HONG
KONG MEMBERS ARE UNANIMOUSLY IN FAVOUR.
EXCHANGES WITH THE CHINESE
25.
IN ORDER TO OVERCOME CHINESE 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
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 QUOTE CONVERGENCE
UNQUOTE 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
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/MELP