PART II: TALKS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA ON ELECTORAL
ARRANGEMENTS
a) Establishing a basis for talks
18. Her Majesty's Government and the Hong Kong Government
made clear from the outset that they were open to alternative ideas, either from the Chinese side or from people in Hong Kong. A wide range of alternative suggestions were made by groups and individuals in Hong Kong in the months after the
Governor's announcement. The Hong Kong Government published in early 1993 a compendium of these alternative ideas and passed a
copy to the Chinese side. This compendium was intended to
assist members of the Legislative Council when they came to
consider the draft legislation which would be required to give
effect to the electoral arrangements for 1994 and 1995.
19.
The Hong Kong Government's original intention had been to submit such draft legislation to the Legislative Council in
February 1993. But early in the year, Her Majesty's
Government in conjunction with the Hong Kong Government, took
the initiative to repeat formally to the Chinese side that
they were willing to hold talks about the electoral arrangements without preconditions. This led to intensive
diplomatic contacts in Peking during February and March 1993
to explore whether a productive basis for formal talks could
be found. Her Majesty's Government confirmed that they were
ready for talks on the basis of the Joint Declaration, the principle of convergence with the Basic Law, and the relevant agreements and understandings reached between Britain and
China. They also made plain that in any talks, the British
team would include the necessary Hong Kong Government
officials, on the same basis as other officials from London
and Peking. This was consistent with the practice followed in
previous discussions between Britain and China, including the
statememt26.8/BRIEFS/NJH
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