布政司署
香港下亞理畢道
Constit. Dupef
расторни
SECRET på Constit. &
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD HONG KONG
*MBE Our Ref :
• Your Ref.
BY CLASSIFIED FAX
23 August 1993
Not elections
HUF 011/7
Еля
2418
Mr. Peter Ricketts,
Hong Kong Department,
FCO
Dear Pith.
Many
in the picture.
2.
We
Talks on the 1994-95 Election
Arrangements : White Paper
2 SEP 193
thanks for your speedy reply, and for keeping us
of are,
courses, entirely content for you to
take the lead in doing a first draft of the White Paper.
3.
at
of my
full
a
any
on our
have all the background material covered in
draft.
I trust you would
end your
on the areas
first your One point that occurs to me to be a tricky area is the pre-Basic Law Exchanges. We have sent you by bag (under cover letter of 1 March 1993 to Nigel Cox and copied to you) compendium of all these exchanges. Should you need further research
we part
will be very happy to assist. It is possible that, in the event of a breakdown of talks, the Chinese side will disclose (selectively) those records which support their case. We have therefore combed through these exchanges and identified particularly glaring excerpts which make our position a little vulnerable. These are attached. We will in due course have to decide the Chinese were to choose
what our response should be if to disclose them.
Yous Artiste.
us ever,
(Peter Lai)
Deputy Secretary for Constitutional Affairs
c.c. Nigel Cox Esq., Peking
(By classified fax)
SECRET