9. The Chinese may well dislike any suggestion of anticipating the Executive provisions of the Basic Law in this way.
At the least they may find it difficult to respond to the idea. We can dispose of any argument that it is contrary to JD 30 on the grounds that we will retain responsibility for Hong Kong, but how we exercise our responsibility internally is our own affair and what we are doing is in line with their own plans for Hong Kong and is unaffected by convergence. The Chinese may find it more
difficult to deal with this point of substance. If the Governor were to deploy the possibility of going down this road at his meeting in Beijing, therefore, it is possible that he would have a bargaining counter for some increase in the directly elected seats in the Legislature. But it
would not be prudent to give up that card merely for a couple of seats. As this paper has tried to bring out, the idea of a proto-chief executive has its own advantages and is not merely a gaming chip.
B
Paul Fifoot
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