SECRET
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 02010OZ PEKING
TELNO 777
OF 0117O9Z OCTOBER 92
AND TO DESKBY 02010OZ HONG KONG
SECRET
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
this 01/
ря
p.r. Constit.
(China)
077755
MDHOAN 1718
TOP COPY Q DIST 7
35
PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR FROM RICKETTS, HKD
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR
UKREP JLG PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY
28
(39
HONG KONG TELNOS 2427 AND 2428: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
1. WE AGREE THAT IF YOU ARE SUMMONED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, YOU SHOULD, DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OF THE CHINESE DEMARCHE, DRAW ON THE THREE POINTS PROPOSED BY THE GOVERNOR IN HIS FIRST TUR AS
YOUR INITIAL RESPONSE.
2.
OUR ONLY COMMENT ON THESE POINTS IS THAT 2(A) AS DRAFTED
SEEMS TO ACKNOWLEDGE RATHER TOO CLEARLY THAT WE ARE NOT SERIOUS ABOUT PRESSING THE CASE FOR MORE DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS. WE SUGGEST ADDING BEFORE THE LAST SENTENCE 'WE HAVE ASKED THE CHINESE SIDE TO CONSIDER AMENDING THE BASIC LAW TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS. BUT WE RECOGNISE THE SENSITIVITIES OF THIS PROPOSAL. APART FROM THAT, ALL THAT THE GOVERNOR WILL PROPOSE ON THE 1995 ELECTIONS IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE BASIC LAW, AND EXPLICITLY SUBJECT TO DISCUSSION WITH THE CHINESE SIDE'.
3. HAVING GIVEN THIS IMMEDIATE REACTION YOU SHOULD SAY THAT YOU WILL NEVERTHELESS CAREFULLY REPORT THE CHINESE DEMARCHE. WE ENVISAGE THAT YOU WILL THEN SUBSEQUENTLY REVERT TO THE CHINESE ON INSTRUCTIONS, SETTING OUT IN FULLER AND MORE MEASURED TERMS OUR RESPONSE. THIS WILL OBVIOUSLY DEPEND ON THE EXACT TERMS OF THE CHINESE DEMANDS: BUT WE HAVE PREPARED A FIRST DRAFT (IN MIFT)
ON WHICH WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR COMMENTS FROM HONG KONG AND YOURSELVES DESKBY 02083OZ.
FOR HONG KONG: ON SECOND TUR, WE AGREE WITH THE RESPONSE YOU PROPOSE IN YOUR PARA 5.
4 =
HURD
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