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(iii) Arrangements for the 1995 LegCo elections.
The main
issue to discuss here is the question of political
handling. We have a number of contradictory requirements:
to be seen to follow through the Government's public
commitment to go back to the Chinese on the number
of directly-elected seats;
to avoid this issue becoming a litmus test of our
success in negotiating with the Chinese on electoral
arrangements (since, as the Governor says, we should
be under no illusion that anything will be obtainable from the Chinese on this score);
to push the Chinese as far as possible on a package of more limited democratic reforms, without reaching
the point where they de-rail the through train.
This will be a very difficult hand to play. The
Governor's telegram suggests that he is planning to
give a fairly full account of his approach in the LegCo speech in October. There will be political pressures on him to lean in the direction of more openness. But
I recommend that the Secretary of State should explore
with the Governor the implications of doing this in the
case of the electoral issues. As the Governor comments
in para 12 of his telegram, once we have staked out a
public position on electoral issues, it will be very damaging if we are seen to back-track from it under Chinese pressure. Announcing the substance of our proposals publicly in advance of a negotiation with the Chinese has some major drawbacks, set out in the
checklist. The handling of this point might be a main
focus for the discussion at the dinner.
B
3.
Another angle to consider at dinner will be handling the
Chinese. Peking telegram number 1054 (just received) gives
initial comments on the Governor's ideas. Peking are right to say that the Chinese will be suspicious and that no doubt
they would prefer no change. But I believe we can make a
DAWAJO/3
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