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FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1398
OF 10034OZ OCTOBER 92
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG
HONG KONG TELNO 2478: LEGCO ADDRESS: CHINESE REACTION
1.
IT WOULD BE PREMATURE TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS FROM THE ABSENCE OF CHAPTER AND VERSE ALLEGATIONS ABOUT BREACHES OF THE JOINT DECLARATION OR BASIC LAW IN THE INITIAL CHINESE REACTIONS TO THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. THEY WILL WANT TO STUDY THE FULL TEXT AND CONSULT THEIR LAWYERS BEFORE GOING INTO PRINT ON LEGAL POINTS. THEY MAY ALSO PREFER TO DELAY PUBLISHING DETAILED CRITIQUES UNTIL AFTER THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT HERE.
2. THE CHINESE OBJECTIONS TO THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS ARE PRIMARILY POLITICAL NOT LEGAL. ON A MATTER OF THIS IMPORTANCE, THEY WILL DELAY SPELLING OUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF QUOTE UNILATERAL UNQUOTE ACTION UNTIL THE DIE IS CAST. BUT I WOULD EXPECT THEIR EVENTUAL REACTION TO A DECISION TO GO AHEAD WITH ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1995 ELECTION ON A BASIS NOT AGREED WITH THEM TO BE MUCH STRONGER THAN IT WAS IN THE CASE OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS. THERE IS MUCH MORE AT STAKE.
MCLAREN
YYYY
MAIN
.HK POLICY
HKD
PUSD
FED
63
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT
.AND MS BROOKS
NEWS D
DISTRIBUTION
67
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PS/MR GOODLAD
SIR J COLES MR APPLEYARD MR HUM
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