SECRET
British Embassy
Peking
band
011/61
26 November 1993
RECE
STRY
11 Guang Hua Lu
03 MAR 1994
INDE
PF Ricketts Esq
HKD
FCO
Jian Guo Men Wai
Peking
People's Republic of China
Telephone: 532 1961. 2/78/14/5 Cable: Prodrome Peking
Telex, 22191
Facsimile. 582 1989 ext. 239
(By classified fax: IMMEDIATE)
Dear Teker
copy)
*
TALKS ON 1994/95 ELECTIONS:
1.
WHITE PAPER
Thank you for copying to me your faxed letter of 22 November to Martin Dinham. I am sorry to have missed your dead-line and indeed for my absence of comment on previous drafts, but I think they were discussed with the Ambassador in Hong Kong at an early stage.
2. If in finalising the text it is still possible to make essential amendments, I would suggest the following:
- introduction: p 4, 1st para: The way the Chinese spelt
cs p4, put their proposed EC voting method made it a good deal less byzantine or open to manipulation than originally seemed likely; the para, 63 formulation of "restrictive and cumbersome" is fairer
S/of 5 introduction: p 4 2nd para: The reference to the Chinese refusing to accept the abolition of appointed seats perhaps needs amending in the light of the private session in
today's talks. It is poor form to quote from such private meetings, but we could say something like: "they opposed the abolition of the appointed seats in 1994/5, and indicated that the only circumstances in which they might be able to agree to this would be on the understanding that at least some of them would have to be reinstated in 1997".
बाद
Main text: para 28, 3rd tiret: after "[the EC] that will be responsible for electing Chief Executives", to be acurate one should add: "and some members of Legco".
749
Main text: pará 47: also needs updating as above in light of Christopher Hum's private meeting with Jiang Enzhu this morning.
Check
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SECRET