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would prejudge the outcome of our talks with China, and certainly be interpreted by them as a hostile unilateral
move.
B
4.
The best way to keep our options open and avoid nugatory
work, would be to extend the BEC deadline to 30 April 1994.
(This is the latest practicable date to enable the revised
boundaries to be incorporated in the new voter register
be published in August 1994). Hong Kong would like to seek ExCo's agreement to this proposal on 12 October.
to
5. Hong Kong recognise that extending this deadline may encourage the Chinese (and presumably LegCo and Hong Kong opinion) to believe that our deadline for the talks with
China would similarly be extended. We should brief them
early, making it clear that the talks would have had to reach
a conclusion several months before 30 April to enable
preparation work to take place. Sir R McLaren agrees with Hong Kong's proposals (Peking Telno 1335).
Other BEC matters.
6.
The Minister will recall that, in early June, the Chinese
characterised the enactment of the BEC Ordinance and the
gazettal of the parts concerning the work of the Commission as "petty tricks". In light of this, Hong Kong proposed (and
we agreed) that we should defer the gazettal of the remaining
parts of the Ordinance until after the talks with China have
concluded, but that we should review the situation in
mid-October. Peking Telno 1335 recommends that we should
stick to the decision to defer. This is sensible. The less
excuses we give the Chinese to impugn our approach to the
talks the better. The draft telegram makes this point.
Johani
J C Morris
becmin5.9 CONDEV JM
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