TNAG-1243-FCO40-1557-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 178

might filip Scrutan

posts in GS.

Ibe

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Reference

HKK 040/1.

741,

Mr Hare

Mr Hum

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25%,

24 decex minterst but would be happy to tele pot w

I

syr's abeedy that the Cloners are thinking on the sand

Its everse

lines.

Mr Clift

We have seen sys

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PROMINENT FIGURES IN HONG KONG

AFTER 1997

1.

The Governor may well have this in mind already as part of his "localisation" thinking but it seems to me that we/Hong Kong ought to start focusing more sharply on precisely who is likely to be in a position of prominence in Hong Kong come 1997. This is on the assumption that Hong Kong does indeed become a special administrative region of China and that, for the most part, it is run by Hong Kong people.

2. I am thinking particularly of people in the field of Government, Administration and the Civil Service but also even in business and financial circles. For instance, assuming that there are no drastic changes in procedures or systems between now and 1997, should we not be trying to identify who is likely to be:

(a) Governor/Mayor/Chief Administrator;

(b) Chief Secretary;

(c) Financial Secretary;

MKK040/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY -5 vcl 1983

(d) Secretary for District Administration

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

Ke) on EXCO and LEGCO;

a different

category. (f) the Senior Unofficial;

(g) Chief Justice;

(h) Attorney General.

There may be other posts, eg at the top of Government Departments, where we could also hazard a reasonable guess as to their occupants.

3. As I see it, the purpose of such a talent spotting exercise would be to try to ensure:

(a) that the right sort of people are brought on and up to the top, and conversely

as

(b) that the wrong sort, ie those who are either so steeped in British colonialism to be unacceptable to the Chinese, or so pro-Chinese as to be in Chinese pocket are, in so far as it is possible, kept down.

not shay's Rasy to tell

CODE 18-77

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/How far