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WOULD PROVOKE VERY SERIOUS CRITICISM IN HONG KONG, AND ALMOST CERTAINLY ALSO IN PARLIAMENT. WE WOULD BE ACCUSED OF GIVING IN
TO PRESSURE FROM THE CHINESE AND DELAYING THE REVIEW BECAUSE OF
THEIR KNOWN OBJECTIONS. IT IS THE VIEW OF THE ACTING GOVERNOR,
IN THE LIGHT OF INFORMAL CONSULTATION WITH EXCO, THAT SUCH A DELAY WOULD NOT BE PUBLICLY ACCEPTABLE IN HONG KONG, AND THAT THE
EFFECT ON CONFIDENCE WOULD BE SERIOUS. HE IS CERTAIN THAT
NEITHER EXCO NOR LEGCO WOULD AGREE TO IT.
(C) A LIMITED DELAY
13.
BE
THERE IS HOWEVER A DEGREE OF FLEXIBILITY IN THE TIMETABLE
TO WHICH WE ARE PUBLICLY COMMITTED. THIS MIGHT IN ITSELF
SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE CHANCES OF ACHIEVING COMPATIBILITY
BETWEEN THE DRAFT BASIC LAW AND THE TERMS OF THE WHITE PAPER.
THE GREEN PAPER COULD, CONSISTENT WITH OUR DECLARED TIMETABLE,
PUBLISHED AS LATE AS THE END OF MAY OR EVEN JUNE (ALTHOUGH JUNE
COULD GIVE US SOME DIFFICULTY IN VIEW OF THE REFERENCES MADE BY
HKG OFFICIALS TO APRIL/MAY). PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER
COULD BE ALLOWED TO SLIP TO JANUARY OR EVEN FEBRUARY 1988. THIS
WOULD ENABLE DISCUSSION AT THE DECEMBER 1987 BLDC PLENARY TO BE
TAKEN FULLY INTO ACCOUNT, ALTHOUGH THIS WILL NOT NECESSARILY GIVE
US DEFINITIVE POINTERS AS TO CHINESE INTENTIONS. MOREOVER THE
LEGCO DEBATE ON THE SURVEY OFFICE REPORT COULD BE TIMED TO
ACHIEVE THE BEST INTERACTION WITH THE BLDC PLENARY. WE COULD
ARRANGE FOR IT TO BE HELD EITHER FIRST, SO THAT HONG KONG VIEWS HAD BEEN MADE CLEAR TO THE BLDC, OR AFTERWARDS SO THAT THE BLDC
DISCUSSIONS WERE FULLY REFLECTED IN LEGCO DEBATE.
WHICH OPTION?
14.
THE POTENTIAL DANGERS IN DELAYING THE REVIEW FOR A YEAR
CLEARLY OUTWEIGH THE POSSIBLE ADVANTAGES OF SUCH AN OPTION. IT WOULD CAUSE A MAJOR POLITICAL STORM IN HONG KONG, WHICH WOULD
UNDOUBTEDLY SERIOUSLY DAMAGE CONFIDENCE LOCALLY AND POSSIBLY
OVERSEAS. WHILE THERE ARE ALSO POTENTIAL RISKS TO CONFIDENCE IN
THE ALTERNATIVE COURSES, IN THAT THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO LEAD TO DISAGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE, WE MUST CONCLUDE THAT A YEAR'S
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