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BAT (1)
From:
Paul Fifoot
HKCOIZ/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
21 JAN 1991
Ms Major, HKD
RESEARCH INSTITUTE ON HONG KONG LAWS
≤3
Legal Advisers
Date: 4 January 1991
CC Mr Burns
Mr Paul, HKD
Ms Barrett
(55) HKC (12/7 1990
Term.
ра
1. Hong Kong telnos 3803 and 3824 provide further information on this development. of the Chinese officials referred to in the former telegram, five out of seven were my interlocutors during discussions of the Basic Law (ie all except Ji Pengfei and Luo Jiahuan). They are, therefore, likely to be as qualified as any Chinese lawyers so far as the Basic Law itself and Chinese intentions as to its application are concerned.
2. Of the Hong Kong "advisers", Simon Li and Dorothy Liu are known to me, but I do not know Henry Hu, Philip Yuen or Kenneth Chow. Is anything known about them?
3.
The second telegram raises two points. First, there is now the suggestion that we may be seeing the emergence of possible successors in the guise of possible Hong Kong members of the Basic Law Committee. I have noted on a number of previous occasions the need to cultivate and cooperate with possible successors, and the existence of this Institute and its advisers could well facilitate such cultivation and cooperation. This point is linked to the second, which is the desirability of the Hong Kong Government, through appropriate officials or other contacts, having an input into the workings of the Institute and the advice it receives. Darwen Chen's contacts are all very well, but we should certainly encourage the Hong Kong Government to seek further contacts at a legal level. Such contacts, particularly by persons of sufficient seniority who are concerned with the adaptation exercise, and possibly Mr Edwards himself, would be desirable even though the principles, and in due course details, of adaptation are the subject matter of an item in the JLG.
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Paul Fifoot
7PFAAF
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