CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
Hib 011!
RECEIVI
72
021720
MDHIAN 0955
02 SEP 1927
CC.
01/
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3247
OF 01110OZ SEPTEMBER 87
INDEX
PA
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
MIPT : BASIC LAW : CONVERGENCE OF GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE :
TRILOGY IV
FOLLOWING IS FULL TEXT OF THE ARTICLE IN WEN WEI PO:
BEGINS
HEADLINE : THERE HAVE BEEN CONTACTS BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND THE
BRITISH.
TEXT
THER HAVE BEEN CLOSE CONTACTS BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND THE BRITISH SIDES IN THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW AND IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT SINCE THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW STARTED, THE BRITISH SIDE HAS ATTACHED IMPORTANCE TO FORWARDING VIEWS TO THE CHINES SIDE ON THE FUTURE
POLITICAL SYSTEM.
A HK GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL HAS TOLD AH CHI RECENTLY THAT IN THE LATTER HALF OF JULY, THE BRITISH SIDE HAD PUT FORWARD TO THE CHINESE A PROPOSAL ON THE FUTURE POLITICAL SYSTEM WHICH HAD BEEN UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR QUITE A LONG TIME. THE OFFICIAL SAID THAT TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, THIS PROPOSAL, WHICH CONTAINED CONSIDERABLE DETAIL, ATTEMPTED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND PUT TOGETHER ALL THE GOOD POINTS OF THE EXISTING POLITICAL SYSTEM FOR SOME OF THE PROPOS, TWO OR MORE OPTIONS WERE OUTLINED, TOGETHER WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE MERITS AND DEMERITS. THERE WERE ALSO DETAILED SUGGESTIONS ON CERTAIN ISSUES WHICH WERE THE FOCUS OF ATTENTION IN THE DISCUSSIONS ON THE SECTION ON THE POLITICAL SYSTEM
IN THE BASIC LAW.
TAKE THE SELECTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AS AN EXAMPLE. THIS OFFICIAL SAID THAT THE PROPOSAL WAS INCLINED TOWARDS ELECTING THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE BY A GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE. TWO OPTIONS HAD BEEN PUT FORWARD. ONE OPTION WAS FOR SOME MEMBERS OF THE GRAND ELECTORAL
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CONFIDENTIAL