SECRET
17'002
MDHIAN I 5.7
SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 180945Z FCO
TELNO 254
OF 18084OZ FEBRUARY 93
AND TO DESKBY 180945Z PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
PERSONAL FOR SECRETARY OF STATE FROM GOVERNOR
PEKING PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR
UKREP JLG PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY
YOUR TELNO 140: DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE: STEERING BRIEF.
1. YOU ASKED FOR OUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT OUR BOTTOM LINE SHOULD BE IN OUR TALKS WITH THE CHINESE, ASSUMING THESE GET UNDER WAY. CLEARLY PART OF THE PROBLEM OF BEING IN DISCUSSION WITH CHINA IS THAT PROPOSALS WHICH THE COMMUNITY AND LEGCO MAY HAVE FOUND ACCEPTABLE IF THEY HAD EMERGED FROM LEGCO ITSELF WOULD BE MORE OIFFICULT FOR THEM TO ACCEPT IF THEY EMERGED FROM DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA. HITHERTO, WE HAVE BELIEVED THAT WHATEVER LEGISLATIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR 1994/95 WERE EVENTUALLY AGREED BY LEGCO WOULD CONSTITUTE OUR 'BOTTOM LINE' OF ACCEPTABILITY. WE NOW NEED TO STRIVE FOR SOMETHING ADDITIONAL FROM THE CHINESE IN TERMS OF ASSURANCES ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN 1997 AND BEYOND IF CHANGES TO THE ORIGINAL PACKAGE ARE TO STAND A GOOD CHANCE OF ACCEPTANCE IN LEGCO AND THE COMMUNITY.
2. WE DO NOT THINK THAT OUTSIDE THE QUESTION OF THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND THE ELECTION COMMITTEE THERE IS ANY ROOM OR NEED TO GIVE GROUND. THESE ARE THE TWO POINTS WHERE THE CHINESE REALLY WANT CHANGE. IT IS TRUE THAT THEY HAVE ALSO FELT STRONGLY ABOUT THE METHOD OF ELECTION TO GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES BUT THE SORT OF IDEAS THEY HAVE HAD, FOR EXAMPLE THEIR PROPOSAL FOR A MULTI-SEAT SINGLE-VOTE VOTING METHOD, ARE CLEARLY UNACCEPTABLE.
OTHER ISSUES WILL PRIMARILY BE RAISED BY CHINA TO
DELAY THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS.
3. ON THE EXISTING 21 FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WE SHOULD NOT BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT ANY ATTEMPT BY THE CHINESE SIDE TO ROLL BACK OUR PROPOSALS TO WIDEN THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS. ON THE NINE NEW CONSTITUENCIES THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR EXISTING
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