SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 0074
OF 071005Z JANUARY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
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нев опра
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
123645 MDHIAN 2598
MY TELNO 4600 : REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT : WHITE PAPER: DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
1. DURING MY VISIT TO PEKING LAST MONTH, LI HOU SAID THAT THE TEXT OF THE BL, INCORPORATING THREE OPTIONS, ALL OF WHICH PROVIDED FOR A MINIMUM OF 25 PERCENT DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE SAR LEGISLATURE, WOULD BE MADE PUBLIC IN THE PRESS AFTER BLDC VI (PARAS 3 AND 10(A) OF PEKING TELNO 2113 AND PARA 2 OF MY TELNO 4600).
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2. SEVERAL LOCAL CHINESE NEWSPAPERS, INCLUDING WEN WEI PAO AND TA KUNG PAO, PUBLISHED DURING THE BLDC MEETING THE COMPLETE DRAFT BL THE UNDER DISCUSSION. THIS SET OUT CLEARLY THE THREE OPTIONS ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE SAR LEGISLATURE-
3. ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS ON BLDC VI, AND OUR INTERLOCUTORS, THE PROPOSED COMPOSITION OF THE SAR LEGISLATURE AS SET OUT IN THESE
OPTIONS WAS NOT (NOT) CHALLENGED.
WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN PUBLISHED PROBABLY PROVIDES A SUFFICIENT
BASIS FOR US TO INCLUDE AN APPROPRIATE REFERENCE TO THE DRAFT BL IN OUR WHITE PAPER. FROM WHAT LI HOU SAID HOWEVER, I HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT THE CHINESE WOULD BE PUBLISHING THE DRAFT BL AS AMENDED
AT BLDC VI, IN A MORE FORMAL WAY. IT MIGHT BE USEFUL IF PEKING COULD CHECK WITH THE CHINESE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WHETHER THEY DO PROPOSE TO PUBLISH A FURTHER (REVISED) VERSION BEFORE THE WHITE PAPER IS DUE
FOR PUBLICATION (10 FEBRUARY).
WILSON
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