SECRET
07400 MDHIAN 141
FIRST DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW, THEY DO SO IN VERY GENERAL TERMS AND SUGGEST THE WAY IN WHICH THEY MIGHT DO IT BY REFERENCE TO THE TWO CHINESE PRINCIPLES OF CONTINUITY AND SOVEREIGNTY.
(D) SAY THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD BEEN CONSIDERING IDEAS ON HOW A SMOOTH TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT COULD BEST BE ARRANGED. BY EG THE JOINT SELECTION OF SENIOR OFFICIALS AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME, THE INTRODUCTION OF A GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND GENERALLY BRINGING THE COMPOSITION OF LEGCO INTO LINE WITH THE BASIC LAW BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP THESE IDEAS FURTHER WITHOUT EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES: AND
(E) SAY THAT WE BELIEVE THE SECRETARY OF STATE WOULD WISH TO DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH WU XUEQIAN WHEN THEY NEXT MEET IN LONDON IN MARCH AND THAT THIS WOULD BE THE BEST MEANS OF CARRYING FORWARD THE DIALOGUE.
4. OUR AIM WOULD BE TO TRY AND PERSUADE THE CHINESE NOT TO INCLUDE DETAIL IN THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW AND TO GET INTO A DIALOGUE. WE WOULD THEN TRY TO ASCERTAIN THEIR ESSENTIAL REQUIRE- MENTS, TO SEE IF THESE CAN BET MET BY ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO HONG KONG. BY SAYING THIS IN A SUBJECT WHICH WILL BE RAISED AT FOREIGN MINISTER LEVEL WE SHALL BE UNDERLINING OUR CONCERN AS WELL AS BUYING A LITTLE MORE TIME IN WHICH TO DEVELOP POSSIBLE OPTIONS.
5.
THIS STRATEGY CARRIES THE RISK THAT THE CHINESE MAY NEVERTHELESS RETAIN UNSATISFACTORY PROVISIONS IN THE DRAFT BASIC LAW: SO, HOWEVER, DOES ANY ALTERNATIVE STRATEGY. IF THIS DID HAPPEN WE WOULD HAVE TO ATTEMPT TO ADAPT WHATEVER PROVISIONS THE CHINESE ADOPT AND THE PRACTICAL NEEDS AS WE SEE THEM.
6. WE ARE PUTTING IN HAND THE DRAFTING OF A SHORT LINES OF PARA 3 ABOVE AND WILL TELEGRAPH IT TO YOU POSSIBLE. MEANWHILE I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUGGESTED APPROACH.
WILSON
PAPER ALONG THE
AS SOON AS
REACTION TO THE
YYYY
PAGE
SECRET
2
Page 15Page 16