CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 464
OF 10112OZ FEBRUARY 89
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 011/3
62
101030
MDHIAN 1987
TOP COPY
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, BTC HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
PERSONAL FOR PAUL HKD FROM GOVERNOR
36
56.
YOUR TELNOS 325 AND 370: FAC ENQUIRY INTO HONG KONG
1. PENDING CLARIFICATION OF THE COMMITTEE'S REQUIREMENTS FOR WRITTEN AND ORAL EVIDENCE (PARA 2 OF FIRST TUR), WE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING WHAT MATERIAL MIGHT NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR EVENTUAL SUBMISSION TO THE FAC AND WHO MIGHT DRAFT IT. OUR PRELIMINARY THOUGHTS ARE THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR THE HKG TO DRAFT PAPERS ON THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS:
(A) THE DEGREE OF AUTONOMY OF THE HKG. WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO DRAFT WHAT MIGHT PROPERLY BE AN FCO SUBMISSION DESCRIBING THE DEGREE OF AUTONOMY THAT THE HKG ENJOYS, THE CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION OF THE GOVERNOR AND THE CONVENTIONAL LIMITATIONS ON THE EXERCISE OF THE GOVERNOR'S EXTENSIVE CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS.
(B) THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENATIVE GOVERNMENT. THIS MIGHT COVER THE HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG, INCLUDING THE LACK OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR POLITICAL REFORMS PRIOR TO THE LATE 60'S. IT MIGHT REFER
TO THE FACTORS WHICH MADE THE TRADITIONAL DECOLONISATION APPROACH INAPPROPRIATE IN HONG KONG'S CIRCUMSTANCES. IT SHOULD THEN
DESCRIBE THE PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AT THE DISTRICT, REGIONAL AND CENTRAL LEVELS SINCE THE EARLY 70'S AND LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER DEVELOPMENT UP TO
1997 IN THE TERMS OF CHAPTER VIII OF THE 1988 WHITE PAPER.
(C) BASIC LAW. I IMAGINE THAT YOU WILL WISH TO DRAFT A BACKGROUND PAPER ON THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE DRAFTING OF THE BL AND THE ROLE THAT HMG HAS IN IT.
(D) THE WORK OF THE JLG AND LAND COMMISSION. IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR YOU TO DRAFT A PAPER ON THE WORK OF THE JLG. WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO CONTRIBUTE A SECTION, OR A SEPARATE PAPER ON THE LAND COMMISSION.
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