譬
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 438
OF 26180OZ FEBRUARY 90
HKC DI2 3
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
<7 FEB 1990
DESK OFFICER
INDEA
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONGken
35
003212
MDHOAN 3912
YOUR TELNOS 674-678 AND PEKING TELNO 296: BASIC LAW: PUBLIC LINE
1.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ADVICE ON PUBLIC HANDLING OF THE DRAFT BASIC LAW, WHICH WE HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED TO MINISTERS.
2.
TO SUPPLEMENT THE POINTS TO MAKE AND BRIEFING MATERIAL WE HAVE ALREADY PREPARED, MINISTERS HAVE ASKED FOR SOME FURTHER DETAILED WORK TO BE DONE ON THE PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF SPECIFIC BASIC LAW ISSUES. WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE IS AN ANALYSIS ON AN ISSUE-BY-ISSUE BASIS OF WHICH ARTICLES IN THE DRAFT BASIC LAW ARE SATISFACTORY AND WHICH ARE NOT CEG ACCOUNTABILITY OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO THE LEGISLATURE, INTERPRETATION OF THE BASIC LAW, ECONOMIC POLICY PROVISIONS, ETC).
3.
IN THE CASE OF ARTICLES WHICH ARE BROADLY SATISFACTORY, MINISTERS WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A CONVINCING PUBLIC LINE EXPLAINING WHY WE REGARD THEM AS SATISFACTORY. IN THE CASE OF ARTICLES WHICH ARE UNSATISFACTORY, THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT WHILE WE DO NOT CONSIDER IT IS WORTH REVERTING TO THE CHINESE BEFORE PROMULGATION OF THE BASIC LAW, WE HOPE THAT THE CHINESE MIGHT BE PREPARED TO LOOK AT THESE PROVISIONS AGAIN AT SOME STAGE BEFORE 1997.
4.
WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD LET US HAVE
(A) AN ANALYSIS OF THE ISSUES ON THE LIKES SET OUT ABOVE
(B) YOUR VIEWS ON WHAT ISSUES HONG KONG OPINION IS LIKELY TO FOCUS ON. PRESUMABLY WE WILL HAVE A CLEARER OF THIS AFTER THE LEGCO DEBATE ON 28 FEBRUARY.
HURD
YYYY
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