TNAG-1220-FCO40-1530-Democratic-representation-and-reform-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 58

GR 460

SECRET

FV PEKING 1603302 DEC 33

TO IMMEDIATE FOO

SECRET

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1360 OF 16 DECE· BER

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

(34)

YOUR TELMO 1006 AND HONG KONG TELOS 1714 AND 1225;

DEVELOPMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE

4KK all 13

RECEIVED IN PAGISTRY 16 DEC 1933

DES

INDEX

No

1. I THINK THAT OUR MAIN CONCEON SHOULD BE TO ESTABLISH

A SYSTEM FOR THE SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT OF THE GOVERNOP

I

FOR THIS REASON I HOULD

FAVOUR A SYSTEM WITH AS MUCH DIRECT ELECTION AND AS LITTLE

CONSULTAT 10% AMONGST INTEPEST GROUPS AS POSSIBLE. THE CHINESE WILL, OF COURSE, BE ABLE TO EXEPT A CEPTAIN DEGREE OF INFLUENCE WHATEVER THE SELECTION PROCEDURE, BUT THEY

WILL HAVE MORE SCOPE TO DO SO WITH A PROCESS PELYING MODE

ON CONSULTATION AMONGST LEGCO OF ON 200 ELECTORS THAN ON

DIRECT ELECTION BY THE HONG KONG FEGISTERED ELECTORATE OP

ELECTION BY A LECCO WHICH WOULD ITSELF HAVE REEV ELECTED.

12. I AM ALSO UNSURE ABOUT THE PROPOSAL TO ELECT THE GOVERNOR

INITIALLY SY A COLLEGIATE SYSTEM AND THEN LATER, IF ALL

GOES WELL, BY DIRECT ELECTION, IF DIRECT ELECTION IS THE SYSTEM

FOR WHICH WE ARE ULTIMATELY AIMING, WE SHOULD TRY TO ESTABLISH

IT FROM THE OUTSET. IT WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY SE IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE TO IT ONLY A YEAP OP TWO BEFORE 1997 15, AS IS QUITE POSSIBLE, THE CHINESE THEMSELVES HAVE ANY PESE VATIONS ABOUT IT. INDEED, IF THEY APE FIPNLY OPPOSED TO IT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO INITIATE IT AT ALL. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD THEN HAVE TO SP FOR INDIRECT ELECTION OF THE TYPE DESOPISED IN PARA 1 ABOVE.

3. I HAVE TWO SPECIFIC POINTS ON THIRT TUP:

(A) PAPA 4: THE CHOMESE SPOKE OF SELECTION OF THE GOVERNDE

BY ELECTION (MEXT WORD UNDERLINED) 2o CONSULTATION

(PARA 4(111) OF THE 8 DECEMBER RECORD):

(0) PAPA 5: PROCEDURES FOR APPOINTING THE GOVERNOP WILL

INEVITABLY BE LAID DOWN IN THE BASIC LAW PASSED BY THE NPC:

IT FOLLOWS THAT THE GOVERNOP WILL DRAW HIS CONSTITUTIONAL

AUTHORITY FROM PEKING, THOUGH HIS MORAL AUTHORITY AND

POLITICAL POWER-BASE SHOULD BE FIRMLY ANCHORED IN HONG KONG.

WE MUST BE IN NO DOUBT THAT THERE IS NO QUESTION OF EXCLUDING

PEKING FROM FORMALLY CONFIRMING THE GOVERNOR'S APPOINTMENT.

CRADOCK

LIMITED

HDIHKD

HD/FED

PS

PS/PUS

PSIMRLUCE

MRDONALD

SECRET

36

See (45

THIS IS A COPY THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR

40 YEARS UNDER FOI EXEMPTION NO... 27 (1)