TNAG-1239-FCO40-1552-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 179

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CHINA:

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'SPECIAL REGIMES

Mr Giffard

Mr Donald

Mr Burrows, Legal Advi Planning Staff

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1.

In paragraph 2 of his minute of 5 July to Mr Clift, Mr Holmes asked for a note in explanation of the Prime Minister's reference, during a discussion held on 15 June, to Chinese provision of ''special regimes elsewhere''. Mr Clift has asked FED to reply to this point separately.

2. The Chinese have established, or provided for, a number of arrangements for parts of the country which for economic or social reasons are distinctive. In ascending order of distinction from arrangements in other provinces these are:

a) Autonomous regions.

There are 5 autonomous regions,

one for each of the moré significant national minorities, as indicated below:

i) Xinjiang (Uighurs).

ii) Tibet (Tibetans).

iii) Inner Mongolia (Mongols).

iv) Ningxia (Huei, or Moslem, people).

v) Guangxi (Zhuang people).

The autonomy of these regions is strictly limited, and for almost all purposes they remain firmly under the control of the central government. The only features which distinguish them substantively from other provinces

are:-.

i) Provision for minority representation in the

provincial government and other local bodies.

ii) Arrangements for the preservation of local language,

culture and customs.

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/b)