767)
SECRET
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 22010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 3330
OF 211815Z DECEMBER 87
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
SECRET
Adoo
072167
MDHOAN 5412
HKB 0112
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 22 DEC 1987
PA
YOUR TELNO 4825-7 AND PEKING
TELNO 2203:
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT: WHITE PAPER
1.
WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING TEXTUAL COMMENTS ON THE SECOND TUR: (A) PARA 3, THIRD SENTENCE: GIVEN THAT A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF THE POPULATION DID NOT EXPRESS ANY
VIEWS, WE ARE NOT SURE THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO CLAIM QUOTE PUBLIC OPINION AS A WHOLE UNQUOTE IS NOW CLEAR.
WE SUGGEST THAT THIS SENTENCE SHOULD READ QUOTE
THE OUTCOME OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION HAS CLEARLY SHOWN
THERE IS A STRONG TREND IN PUBLIC OPINION WHICH
BELIEVES THAT THERE SHOULD BE
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
UNQUOTE.
PARA 5: IN LINE WITH (A) ABOVE, WE SUGGEST THAT THIS SHOULD BEGIN QUOTE IN SUM, THE PUBLIC RESPONSE INDICATES THAT THERE IS STRONG SUPPORT AMONG THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FOR THE PRINCIPLE OF HAVING UNQUOTE.
PARA 7 (A): AS SOME ELEMENTS OF THE SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED, WE WOULD PREFER THIS TO READ QUOTE THE NEED FOR THE SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE TO
EVOLVE TO MEET THE WISHES AND ASPIRATIONS OF THE
COMMUNITY UNQUOTE.
PARA 7 (C): WE SUGGEST QUOTE PRUDENT UNQUOTE TO
REPLACE QUOTE STEADY UNQUOTE.
WE SUGGEST
FIRST SENTENCE OF FINAL SECTION OF PARA 7:
THIS SHOULD BE REDRAFTED TO READ QUOTE THE GOVERNMENT
HAS ALSO CONSIDERED THE ISSUE IN THE LIGHT OF THE
LIKELY PROVISIONS OF THE BASIC LAW FOR THE ELECTION OF
THE FUTURE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION
LEGISLATURE UNQUOTE.
(F) PARA 8, SECOND AND THIRD SENTENCES: WE SUGGEST THAT
THE FOLLOWING REDRAFT QUOTE THERE WOULD BE A
SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE OVERALL BALANCE OF THE
COUNCIL. THERE WOULD ALSO BE AN OVERALL INCREASE IN
THE SIZE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL UNLESS THE NUMBER
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