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that the broad direction which these provisions will take may by
then have become clearer, the prospects for a simultaneous emergence
of clear and compatible views in the BLDC and the Review exercise,
permitting an outcome in which neither side appears to pre-empt the
other, have diminished.
THE TIMING OF 1987 REVIEW
10. In the face of the above problems the following broad options
present themselves.
(A) RETAIN THE PRESENT TIMETABLE
11. If the present timetable is maintained it will demonstrate
clearly, both within Hong Kong and to outside observers, that HMG
and the Hong Kong Government are firmly in charge of the Government
of Hong Kong, that Government business is being carried on
effectively despite the death of Sir Edward Youde and that the
British side is dealing firmly with known Chinese misgivings about
the Review. The problems of timing referred to in paragrah 9
will however arise. There will be the maximum risk of
incompatability and hence of potential confrontation with the
Chinese side.
(B) POSTPONE THE REVIEW TO 1988
12. A significant postponement of the review, perhaps by a full
year, would in theory considerably improve the chances of achieving
compatibility between its outcome and the future Basic Law= The
death of Sir Edward Youde and the need to allow time for the new
Governor to settle in could theoretically be used as the reason for
a delay.
13.
However there is still no guarantee that the draft sections of
the Basic Law dealing with the political structure will have been
finalised or published even if publication of the White Paper is
deferred until the end of 1988. Moreover departure to this extent from the publicly announced timetable would provoke very serious
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