CONFIDENTIAL
4.
We have now proposed to the Chinese that the next opportunity to pursue our dialogue on these issues might be the Governor's private visit to Peking at the end of
August. It is not yet clear whether theywill press for
discussion at JLG IV.
5.
ExCo is about to be
consulted on the planning
assumption of Ministers that a resident British Governor
should be retained in Hong Kong until 1997.
III Basic Law
6.
The second BLDC meeting took place in Peking between
18 and 22 April. It approved a draft structure for the Basic Law, following a debate in which the Chinese appeared
to show responsiveness to
to the views of Hong Kong members.
All the Hong Kong members voted for the amended text, which
provides a reasonable framework in which all the provisions
in the Joint Declaration should be satisfactorily
accommodated. At the meeting five special groups were also
established: the two most important cover the relationship
the Central Peoples' Government and the SAR; and
the political system of the SAR. These groups will report
to the next BLDC meeting in October.
between the
IV
Nationality
7. The Hong Kong (Nationality) Order in Council was made on 5 June. LegCo welcomed HMG acceptance of two of their
three requests, and overall the issue seems to have become
quiescent in Hong Kong. We are now preparing for our
campaign to secure international acceptance of the BN (0) passport, to be introduced on 1 July 1987.
CONFIDENTIAL