CONFIDENTIAL
027271 MDHO 3859
WITH CHINA OVER HONG KONG WE WISH TO MAINTAIN OVER THE NEXT FOUR
AND A HALF YEARS, AT THE END OF WHICH WE ARE BOUND BY THE JOINT DECLARATION TO RETURN THE TERRITORY TO CHINA. CLEARLY WE DO NOT WANT COOPERATION ON ANY TERMS THE CHINESE CARE TO STATE, BUT THERE ARE MAJOR DISADVANTAGES IN A WHOLLY ADVERSARIAL RELATIONSHIP.
IT IS TRUE THAT IF WE HAVE CONFRONTATION IT WILL BE BY CHINESE CHOICE NOT OURS, BUT WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS.
4 THE DRAFT IMPLIES (PARA 9) THAT THE CHANCES OF REACHING
AGREEMENT ON ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS ARE SO REMOTE THAT WE SHOULD NOT OURSELVES MAKE ANY REAL EFFORT. GIVEN THE RISKS INVOLVED IN GOING IT ALONE, WHICH THE DRAFT APPEARS TO ACCEPT AS INEVITABLE, WOULD THERE NOT BE ADVANTAGE IN AT LEAST EXPLORING WHETHER THERE COULD BE SOME BASIS FOR AGREEMENT ? AT THE MOMENT, OF COURSE, THE CHINESE ARE UNWILLING TO TALK, AND THEY MIGHT INSIST ON UNACCEPTABLE PRECONDITIONS BEFORE DOING SO. BUT WE SHOULD OURSELVES BE CONSIDERING POSSIBLE WAYS OF GETTING THEM TO THE TABLE.
5. THE FINAL PARAGRAPH DOES NOT SEEM TO ME TO OFFER VERY MUCH IN THE WAY OF IDEAS ABOUT THE WAY FORWARD. THE THIRD SENTENCE ('ONCE THE CHINESE HAVE REALISED . ') STRIKES ME AS WISHFUL THINKING.
I KNOW OF NO EVIDENCE FOR IT.
6.
·
I DO NOT HAVE TIME TO PUT FORWARD DRAFTING L DUAGE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THESE POINTS, WHICH MAY WELL NOT FIND FAVOUR WITH THE GOVERNOR OR IN LONDON. BUT I OFFER THE FOLLOWING MINOR SUGGESTIONS:-
SECOND PARAGRAPH. FOR THE SAKE OF BALANCE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD SOMETHING LIKE, 'BUT THE CHINESE HAVE REGISTERED STRONG OPPOSITION' AT THE END OF THIS PARAGRAPH.
PARAGRAPH 5. I WOULD AMEND THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND SENTENCE TO READ SOMETHING LIKE, 'I VERY MUCH DOUBT THAT
·
PARAGRAPH 6. SEE PARA 2 ABOVE. I HOPE THAT YOU CAN WORK IN
SOME REFERENCE TO THE FACT THAT THE CHINESE ARE UNLIKELY TO
ACQUIESCE IN LEGISLATION ON THE PRESENT LINES.
PARAGRAPH 8. I THINK THE GOVERNOR HAS NOW ACCEPTED THAT ONE OF THE CONCESSIONS HE ORIGINALLY HAD IN MIND THAT OF OFFERING TO INCLUDE NPC AND CPPCC DELEGATES IN THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, PROVIDED THAT THEY WERE ELECTED IN HONG KONG BY UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE)
2
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL