CONFIDENTIAL
IMMEDIATE
But the Chinese position remains that the Basic Law
changed before 1997. We will continue to make the case for more
directly elected seats in 1995 with vigour. But this is not the
only way of building up democracy in Hong Kong. The Governor
will therefore be exploring in parallel how to develop Hong
Kong's representative institutions to the maximum extent within
the terms of the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.
7.
The key
The Governor's package adds up to a very substantial
increase in the degree of democracy in Hong Kong.
points include lowering the voting age to 18: making the District
Boards fully directly elected: greatly expanding the electorate
for the Leg Co functional constituencies to include the entire
working population: and ensuring that the members of the
Election Committee who will elect 10 LegCo members should
themselves have been elected (for example the Committee could
draw all or most of its members from the directly-elected
District Board members). In this way, every level of
representative Government up to and including LegCo will have
been formed on the basis of broadly based, fair and open
elections.
8. To maximise the chances of continuity in 1997, we shall be
discussing the electoral arrangements with the Chinese side,
starting with the Governor's visit to Peking from 21-23
October. On these issues, therefore, the Governor will be
announcing proposals in his LegCo speech.
9. The Governor's discussions in Peking will also cover the Hong
Kong airport. We and the Chinese side are agreed that Hong Kong
needs a new airport. The Chinese Foreign Minister confirmed this
again to me in New York last month. The Chinese have been
dragging their feet on the financing arrangements.
We have now
put