(41
CONFIDENTIAL FM FCO
TO DESKBY 19010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 144
OF 18143OZ JANUARY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
HKCB (402
FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM, HKD
19 JAN 1988
YOUR TELNO 161: PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE ON HONG KONG
1.
157544
MDHOAN 6844
TOP COPY Q. DIST.?
AS YOU WILL RECALL, THE DRAFTING OF A STATEMENT FOR A
PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS: THE TEXT REMAINS IN FLUX UNTIL THE VERY LAST MOMENT.
2.
THERE ARE CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE TEXT AS IT STANDS AT
PRESENT ON WHICH I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ADVICE. MY THREE
IFTS CONTAIN PASSAGES FROM THE DRAFT.
3.
MY FIRST IFT CONTAINS THE SECTION ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT DISCUSSED IN EARLIER TELEGRAMS. BECAUSE OF LIMITATIONS ON LENGTH IT HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE TO TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT ALL YOUR HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS: YOU WILL RECALL THAT MINISTERS CAN SPREAD THEMSELVES RATHER LESS THAN SPEAKERS IN LEGCO. WE HAVE DEALT WITH QUOTE UNVEILING UNQUOTE ON THE GENERAL
LINES AGREED IN PREVIOUS TELEGRAMS: BUT THE SECRETARY OF STATE FAVOURS AN ADDITIONAL PASSAGE ON THE LINES OF PARA 25.
I HOPE YOU SEE NO OVERRIDING OBJECTION TO THIS. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FEELS THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE SUFFICIENTLY FORTHCOMING IN THE DEBATE, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE FORMULATION IN
DRAFT OUGHT NOT TO GIVE YOU LOCAL DIFFICULTY.
THE
4.
MY SECOND IFT CONTAINS THE PASSAGE ON THE DRAFTING OF THE
BASIC LAW. YOU WILL NOTE THE SECOND HALF OF THE FOURTH SENTENCE.
WE FEEL THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE GAINED BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE
BASIC LAW HAS BEEN QUOTE A THEME OF OUR CONTACTS UNQUOTE WITH THE CHINESE, AND DOUBT WHETHER THIS FORMULATION COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE US DIFFICULTY IN HONG KONG OR WITH THE CHINESE. NO ONE CAN IMAGINE THAT IN OUR CONTACTS WITH THE CHINESE OVER THE PAST YEAR, AND IN PARTICULAR YOUR VISITS TO PEKING, HAVE NOT TOUCHED ON THE BASIC
5.
AND
LAW.
FINALLY MY THIRD IFT CONTAINS THE PARAGRAPHS ON THE STOCK
FUTURES EXCHANGES. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR
CONFIRMATION THAT THEY ARE FACTUALLY ACCURATE AND STRIKE AN APPROPRIATE NOTE.
6.
IT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL TO HAVE YOUR COMMENTS DESKBY
1909OOZ.
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