3.E. BEIJING CEMPTEK
TH 1 H +2 11:5
PG.18
of diplomatic exchanges;
SECRET
what Chinese officials have said publicly and to visiting
Hong Kong delegations;
certain principles set out in the Basic Law.
2.
Let me take this last point first. I have already noted
that Article 68 of the BL, following Article 49 of the Joint
Declaration, provides that the Legislative Council of the SAR
"shall be constituted by election".
Can you please tell me
how that requirement would be met in the case of the 10
members returned by the 1995 Election Committee if the
arrangements were not in accordance with the two principles we
have set out ?
of
). There is also the question of the reference in para 3 of BL Annex I to the Election Committee's being constituted "in accordance with the principles of democracy and openness".
course we are agreed that Annex I does not deal with the 1995
Election Committee; but are you seriously prepared to argue that these principles which will apply to the 1999 and
subsequent Election Committees should not also apply to the
1995 Election Committee ? If so, what grounds will you use to
support such a peculiar position ? And if you do accept the
principles of democracy and openness, what can they mean if it is not the same as the slightly more detailed formulations
which we have used ?