CONFIDENTIAL
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170264
MDHIAN 8676
CONFIDENTIAL
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FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 16093OZ FCO
TELNO 164
OF 16090OZ JANUARY 89
PERSONAL FOR HUM, HKD FROM GOVERNOR
TIMES EDITORIAL: 13 JANUARY
нко HKD 301/1
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CE17/1 u
I AM GLAD THAT YOU HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHOULD REPLY TO THE TIMES EDITORIAL. IT CONTAINS A NUMBER OF GLARING INACCURACIES THAT NEED NAILING AT A MINISTERIAL LEVEL.
2.
IF THE TEXT OF THE LETTER IS STILL BEING WORKED ON THS MORNING, YOU MIGHT FIND THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS HELPFUL:-
A) PARA 2. IN THE TIME AVAILABLE WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND WHETHER, AND IF SO WHERE, THE SECOND AND THIRD CRITERIA YOU QUOTE FOR THE GRANTING OF BRITISH CITIZENSHIP UNDER SECTION 4(5)
WERE STATED PUBLICLY IN 1981. WE HAVE CHECKED THE SPEECHES. BY LORD WHITELAW, LORD BELSTEAD (BOTH MOVING AND WINDING UP SECOND READING) AND MR RAISON (IN COMMITTEE). IN ANY CASE I WOULD THINK IT SUFFICIENT, AND PREFERABLE FROM A HONG KONG POINT OF VIEW, TO RETAIN SIMPLY A REFERENCE TO THE STATEMENT THAT CITIZENSHIP WOULD ONLY BE GRANTED SPARINGLY, THE POINT MADE BY MR RAISON TO THE 23RD SITTING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE.
B)
PARA 5. THE CRITICISMS OF DELAY IN CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT WERE AIMED AT THE HKG. I WOULD PREFER THE THIRD SENTENCE TO BEGIN (QUOTE) THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THEREFORE CONCLUDED, WITH OUR FULL SUPPORT,
(UNQUOTE). IT IS ALSO
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
C) LAST PARA. THE LAST SENTENCE IS A LITTLE WEAK. I WOULD
ALSO SUGGEST AVOIDING USE OF THE PHRASE (QUOTE) PRUDENT AND
GRADUAL (UNQUOTE) FOR A UK AUDIENCE. THE PARAGRAPH MIGHT READ AS FOLLOWS (QUOTE) OUR APPROACH TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG HAS BEEN CONSISTENT AND CLEAR. IT SHOULD SUIT HONG KONG CIRCUMSTANCES. IT SHOULD MOVE
STEADILY FORWARD. IT SHOULD DO SO IN A WAY WHICH COMMENDED THE
WIDEST POSSIBLE PUBLIC SUPPORT. EACH STEP HAS BEEN TAKEN ON THE BASIS OF PAINSTAKING PUBLIC CONSULTATION. (UNQUOTE).
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