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MDLIAN 4046
4694
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2668
OF 10074OZ NOVEMBER 92
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: PROPOSALS BY THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONALS FEDERATION.
THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONALS FEDERATION OF HONG KONG (BPF) ISSUED A POSITION PAPER ON HONG KONG'S CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ON 9 NOVEMBER. TEXT IN MIFT.
2.
THE BPF HAS 159 MEMBERS: ITS CURRENT CHAIRMAN IS VINCENT LO. EDWARD HO AND STEPHEN CHEONG (BOTH LEGCO MEMBERS) ARE VICE- CHAIRMEN. ITS MEMBERS INCLUDE MANY PROMINENT BUSINESSMEN AND
LEADING CORPORATIONS. MEMBERS OF ITS ADVISORY COUNCIL INCLUDE SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SIR S.Y.CHUNG AND LORD KADOORIE. DAVID GLEDHILL AND SIR ROGER LOBO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
3
THE POSITION PAPER ATTRACTED WIDE COVERAGE IN THE MEDIA. LO SAID THE POSITION PAPER WAS PUBLISHED IN RESPONSE TO THE
GOVERNOR'S CALL ON THE COMMUNITY TO COME UP WITH ALTERNATIVE
PROPOSALS. HE DENIED THAT THE BPF WAS LAUNCHING A CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE GOVERNOR BUT FOUND THE RISK OF NON-CONVERGENCE UNACCEPTABLE. LO ALSO DENIED THAT THE BPF WAS ADOPTING THE CHINESE POSITION.
4 =
ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, SIX MEMBERS OF THE BPF HAD NOT ENDORSED THE POSITION PAPER. THEY INCLUDE WILLIAM PURVES (WHO, ACCORDING TO LO, DECLINED TO GIVE HIS ENDORSEMENT BECAUSE OF HIS EXCO MEMBERSHIP), THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CON THE GROUND THAT THEY HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO STUDY THE PAPER), SWIRE PACIFIC AND THE JARDINES GROUP.
5. HKG ISSUED A PRESS STATEMENT LAST NIGHT WITH THE FOLLOWING
POINTS:
(I)
THE GOVERNOR IS VERY PLEASED THAT A DEBATE IS NOW
BEGINNING. HE WELCOMES ANY PROPOSALS WHICH MEET THE CRITERIA AGREED BY THE BRITISH AND THE CHINESE SIDES, I.E. OPENNESS,
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