GRS 500
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 149
OF 29082OZ JANAURY 86
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 256li
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
29 JAN1986
TOP COPY
63
DESK OFFICER
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INDEX
24
FEGISTRY
Action Taken
1
YOUR TELNO 87: HONG KONG PUBLIC SERVICE: SENIOR APPOINTMENTS
1. BLUNT TOOK ACTION AS INSTRUCTED WITH WANG JIAJI THIS MORNING. HE TOOK WANG CAREFULLY THROUGH THE SPEACKING NOTE, OF WHICH HE LEFT A COPY. WANG ASKED THREE QUESTIONS ON WHICH BLUNT OFFERED PRELIMINARY
COMMENTS:
ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICE BEEN
(A) HAD THE CHANGE TO HONG KONG'S ADOPTED BY THE LEGISLATURE IN THE FORM OF AN ORDINANCE? BLUNT SAID HE DOUBTED THIS. HE WOULD EXPECT THE CHANGE TO BE IMPLEMENTED BY
ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES SEMICLN
(B) WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT OF THE CHANGE ON THE FUTURE HONG KONG SAR AFTER 1997? BLUNT POINTED OUT THAT THE CHANGE WOULD TAKE PLACE BEFORE 1997. IN LINE WITH THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT, IT WAS DESIGNED TO MAXIMISE CONTINUITY AND MINIMISE DISRUPTION IN AND AFTER
1997 SEMICLN
(C) AT JLG 1, WILSON HAD RAISED THE PUBLIC SERVICE AND PROMISED FURTHER INFORMATION: HOW WAS OUR THINKING EVOLVING ON THIS SUBJECT? BLUNT SAID THAT HIS RECOLLECTION WAS THAT WILSON'S COMMENTS HAD BEEN RESTRICTED TO PENSIONS ARRANGEMENTS. HOWEVER, HE UNDERTOOK TO REPORT WANG'S ENQUIRY. WANG SAID THAT THE CHINESE WOULD WELCOME ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHANGE IN CIVIL SERVICE ADMIN- ISSTRATIVE PRACTICE AND THE PENSIONS SCHEME AND ANY LINK BETWEEN
THE TWO.
2=
IN CONCLUSION, WANG SAID HE HAD NOTED THAT THE CHANGE TO ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICE WAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STIPULATIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. HE UNDERTOOK TO REPORT OUR APPROACH FOR
''FURTHER CONSIDERATION''.
COMMENT
}
3.
WANG WAS GUARDED IN HIS RESPONSE. GIVEN THE CHINESE INTEREST AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN THE QUESTION OF WHO WILL FILL THE SECRETARY
POSITIONS IN THE RUN UP TO 1997, THE MFA ARE LIKELY TO WANT TO LOOK
CLOSELY AT THE TERMS OF OUR APPROACH. DEFENSIVE BRIEFING ON THIS
SUBJECT WILL CLEARLY BE NEEDED FOR JLG 111.
4. ON WANG'S QUESTION AT PARAGRAPH 1 (C), WE SUGGEST, SUBJECT TO YOUR AND HONG KONG'S VIEWS, THAT AT THE NEXT APPROPRIATE OPPORTUNITY
WE SHOULD TELL WANG:
CONFIDENTIAL
/(A)