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EXERCISE, NOTABLY THE POSSIBLE INTRODUCTION OF A DIRECTLY ELECTED
ELEMENT INTO LEGCO.
3.
THE CHINESE REMAIN PROFOUNDLY SUSPICIOUS OF OUR MOTIVES.
THEY NOW APPEAR TO ACCEPT, ALBEIT RELUCTANTLY, THAT THE REVIEW
MUST TAKE PLACE AND THAT THE GREEN PAPER MUST REFER TO DIRECT
ELECTIONS. BUT THEY CONTINUE TO INSIST THAT IT SHOULD DO SO IN
STRICTLY NEUTRAL TERMS, AND THAT NO CONCLUSION SHOULD BE REACHED
ON THE ISSUE OF DIRECT ELECTIONS BEFORE THE PROMULGATION OF THE
BASIC LAW IN 1990. THEY HAVE ASKED TO SEE TEXTS OF THE GREEN AND
WHITE PAPERS LONG ENOUGH IN ADVANCE OF PUBLICATION QUOTE TO PERMIT STUDY UNQUOTE.
4.
ABOVE ALL THE CHINESE WISH TO AVOID A POSITION IN WHICH
OUR WHITE PAPER PROPOSES THE INTRODUCTION OF AN ELEMENT OF
DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988. THEY CONSIDER THAT THIS WOULD PRE-EMPT
THE DECISIONS ON POST-1997 ARRANGEMENTS TO BE TAKEN BY THE BASIC
LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE (BLDC) AND ENSHRINED IN THE BASIC LAW.
THEY WOULD BE FACED WITH THE CHOICE BETWEEN MAKING SIMILAR
PROVISION IN THE BASIC LAW, APPARENTLY UNDER PRESSURE FROM
OURSELVES, AND MAKING NO SUCH PROVISION, A CAUSE WHICH WOULD LEAD
TO CONFRONTATION WITH OURSELVES.
THE CHINESE TIMETABLE
5.
THE WORK OF THE BLDC HAS NOW ENTERED ITS MOST INTENSIVE
AND DETAILED PHASE. DRAFTING OF THE SECTIONS OF THE BASIC LAW
DEALING WITH THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF THE HONG KONG SPECIAL
ADMINISTRATIVE REGION (SAR) WILL HOWEVER LAG SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND
THE REST OF THE DRAFTING TIMETABLE. IN PART THIS PROBABLY
REFLECTS GENUINE UNCERTAINTY ON THE CHINESE SIDE, IN THE FACE OF
THE LACK OF CONSENSUS ON THESE ISSUES AMONG HONG KONG OPINION.
BUT THE EFFECT, WHETHER DELIBERATE OR NOT, IS TO MAKE OUR OWN
TASK MORE DIFFICULT: THERE IS NOW LESS PROSPECT OF THE
SIMULTANEOUS EMERGENCE OF PARALLEL VIEWS IN THE BLDC AND THE
REVIEW EXERCISE, PERMITTING COMPATIBLE OUTCOMES IN WHICH NEITHER
SIDE APPEARS TO PRE-EMPT THE OTHER.
6. THE KEY DATES ON THE CHINESE SIDE ARE THE FOLLOWING:
APRIL 1987
FOURTH BLDC PLENARY. NO DISCUSSIONS OF
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