14-JUL-1993 14:33
Gallagher
TRANSCRIPT MR ALASTAIR GOODLAD
3
0491 579838
P.03
SELECT COMMITTEE 14 JULY 93
Since the memorandum was written we have succeeded in holding
talks with the Chinese side on these issues. They began in late
April, there have so far been 7 rounds of talks, led on our side
by Sir Robin McLaren and including senior representatives of the
Hong Kong government.
Our central requirements are firstly elections which are fair,
open and acceptable to the people of Hong Kong; and secondly,
objective criteria for determining eligibility of members of the
Legislative Council elected in 1995 to serve through until 1999,
the so-called through train. Progress has so far been slow,
slower than we would wish, but at a meeting with Ministerial
colleagues here on 1 July the Governor proposed that enough of the
groundwork had been done to make it worth the Foreign Secretary
visiting Peking. He did so on 8 9 July. His aim was not to
W
negotiate but to focus the negotiations on the essential points
and emphasise the need for rapid progress.
The talks were useful
in clarifying how we should proceed. The negotiators have been
asked to make progress as rapidly as they can and the Foreign
Secretary will meet his Chinese counterpart again to review
progress in September.
Britain has the responsibility to make the
practical arrangements for the elections to the District Boards in
1994 and to Municipal Council and Legislative Council in 1995. We
have not set a deadline, we want to give the talks every chance of
success, but we do not have unlimited time to bring them to a
successful conclusion.