TNAG-1243-FCO40-1557-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 114

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file. (T6A)

fi Foreign and Commonwealth Office P.5.

London SW1A 2AH

Our ref: HKK 040/1

RP Margolis Esq

Deputy Political Adviser Government Secretariat

Hong Kong

Dear Richart,

HONG KONG VISITORS TO CHINA

(7468747 1.

w/51125

5 December 1983

MIKO40/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

·3 ~ ~ ~ 1983

DESK OFICIN INDEX

の

RECISTRY

Aeton faken

JCM8/12

Thank you for your two letters of 25 November about recent visits to Peking of Dr Denny Huang and the New Territories District Board group.

2.

While there is nothing very new or exciting in your letter on Dr Huang, we did find the references in the "Wide Angle" article

KK040231 (your teleletter of 19 November) to the conversation between

Dr Huang and Ji Peng Fei of rather more interest, particularly on consultations/elections, a subject on which the Chinese appear to be doing a good deal of thinking aloud at the moment.

3. We thought the reports of the District Board group visit contained several interesting pointers, including references to the September 1984 announcement, the mini constitution (the subject of another thinking aloud process), elections and the possible appointment after 1997 of "English civil servants".

4.

While we realise, of course, that reports of this kind are secondhand at least, and are bound to contain some inaccuracies and inconsistencies, they do nonetheless prove very helpful, par- ticularly when looked at alongside reports from other sources, in putting a general picture together. In short, while it might

not always be very easy for you to obtain such reports, we here are glad to have them.

Ey a

Incidentally, I see that the Urban Council visit to Peking, about which Dr Huang spoke so disparagingly, has been postponed. The inclement Peking weather sounds an unlikely reason for this; perhaps you know of a more convincing one. At the time of writing, we are awaiting the outcome of the Observers visit with particular curiosity.

your, Wanick

W Morris

Hong Kong Department

CC:

D G Blunt Esq, Pekin

Mr Thomson,

Mr Wye,

FED

Research Dept.

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