SECRET
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 2306
OF 28121OZ AUGUST 87
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
69
SECRET
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
022533 MDHOAN 0407
70
HuB 0!!!!
0 2 SEP 1987
RECEIVE 14 Sauda MY
YOUR TELNO 3217: STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT: LONGER TERM ISSUES:
GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE
1.
THANK YOU FOR THIS UPDATE. WE NOTE THAT EXCO HAVE
CERTAIN RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE RECEPTION THAT THE GEC CONCEPT WILL RECEIVE IN HONG KONG. WE ARE INCLINED TO AGREE THAT WE
SHOULD REMAIN CAUTIOUS IN OUR APPROACH TO THIS PAPER UNTIL THE OUTCOME OF THE 1987 REVIEW SURVEY CAND/OF YOUR SEPTEMBER VISIT TO PEKING) IS KNOWN. IT IS NOT PARTICULARLY HELPFUL THAT SO FAR AS WE ARE AWARE THERE HAS BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC COMMENT ON
THE GEC CONCEPT THUS FAR.
2.
-
WE SHOULD THEREFORE PREFER TO RESERVE OUR MORE DETAILED COMMENTS (EXCEPT THAT OFFERED IN OUR TELNO 2229) UNTIL AT LEAST AFTER YOUR SEPTEMBER VISIT TO PEKING. IT WOULD SEEM LOGICAL TO AIM TOWARDS FINALISING THIS PAPER IN OCTOBER BY WHICH TIME WE SHOULD HAVE A PRELIMINARY READOUT OF THE SURVEY OFFICE'S REPORT. WE WOULD AT THAT STAGE WISH TO SUBMIT THE DRAFT PAPER TO MINISTERS. THIS TIMING WOULD STILL ENABLE US TO PASS OVER A PAPER WELL BEFORE BOTH YOUR RETURN VISIT TO PEKING AND BLDC
VI.BUT WE FULLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU WILL IN THE MEANTIME BE REWORKING THE PAPER, IN THE LIGHT OF EXCO'S COMMENTS AND OUR TELNO 2229.
HOWE
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
23
DISTRIBUTION
24
HONG KONG AGREEMENT RESTRICTED
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
DEP HD/PUSD
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR EGGAR
MR MCLAREN
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