CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE F CO TELNO 280
OF 210907Z FEBRUARY 90
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
HKC012/3
12 MAR 1990
DESK OFFIC
RY
UKREPJLG HONG KONG
22
164733 MDHIAN 7854
YOUR TELNO 394 TO HONG KO
BASIC
: OVERALL ASSESSMENT.
1. WE AGREE WITH THE ASSESSMENT IN THE FIRST THREE SENTENCES IN PARA 3 OF TUR.
2. WE SEE OUR GENERAL OBJECTIVES AS BEING :
(A) TO AVOID STIRRING UP PUBLIC OPINION IN HONG KONG WHICH SEEMS BROADLY (IF RELUCTANTLY) TO HAVE ACCEPTED THE BASIC LAW, AND
(B) TO HUSBAND CAREFULLY ANY GOODWILL WE HAVE ACHIEVED WITH THE CHINESE OVER THE AGREEMENT ON CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT JUST REACHED.
IT FOLLOWS THAT ANY APPROACH TO THE CHINESE IN AN ATTEMPT TO SECURE SOME FURTHER CHANGES MUST BE VERY CAREFULLY FOCUSED. WE SHOULD ALSO KEEP ANY PROPOSALS TO THE BARE MINIMUM.
3. WE WOULD SEE NO PARTICULAR DIFFICULTY IN COVERING BOTH CATEGORIES OF POINTS DESCRIBED IN PARA 3 OF TUR IN AN APPROACH TO THE CHINESE BUT, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE STAND ANY CHANCE OF SECURING IMPROVEMENTS, POINTS IN CATEGORY (A) WOULD SEEM TO OFFER
WE THE GREATER SCOPE. WE ASSUME THAT, UNDER CATEGORY (B) POINTS, WOULD NOT (NOT) RAISE THE QUESTION OF THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN 1995. OUR LINE ON THIS HAS BEEN FIRST TO SEE HOW THE 1991-1995 LEGISLATURE WORKS OUT IN PRACTICE TO PROVE TO THE CHINESE THAT HONG KONG WOULD BENEFIT FROM A GREATER NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN 1995 THAN PRESENTLY ENVISAGED AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR FROM SUCH A DEVELOPMENT.
4. IN MAKING ANY FURTHER APPROACH TO THE CHINESE, WE SHOULD BEAR IN MIND THAT OUR CHANCE OF SUCCESS WOULD BE DIMINISHED IF AT THE SAME TIME WE MADE TOO MUCH OF PUBLIC REMARKS ABOUT SHORTCOMINGS IN THE DRAFT BASIC LAW, SINCE IT WOULD BE HARDER FOR THEM TO RETREAT IN THE FACE OF PUBLIC CRITICISM.
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