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DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)
prepared to listen to our views on the future political
structure. This is mildly encouraging.
In his discussions in Peking, I propose that the
Governor should emphasise our wish to see to the steady
and gradual progress in democratisation before and after
1997, in the interests of Hong Kong's continuing
stability and prosperity. He should make it clear that
if the Basic Law is to command confidence, it will need
to go considerably beyond what is currently envisaged
both as regards the proportion of directly elected seats
and in the other areas indicated above.
On 1991, he should tell the Chinese that we do not
intend to make an announcement during my visit to Hong
Kong; but that it is our considered judgement that it
would be extremely difficult politically in Hong Kong,
given the movement of opinion over the past 18 months,
to have less than one third of the seats directly
elected in 1991. He would add that, as the Chinese know
from Sir Percy Cradock, we have been under very great
pressure to announce 20 seats. We must recognise that
the Chinese are unlikely to react favourably to such an
approach, which takes little account of their own
concerns, But if they held out the prospect of major
improvements in the Basic Law, in return for a degree of
restraint on our part in 1991, the Governor would clearly
have to undertake to report. We would then need to
consider very rapidly what our response should be.