TNAG-1243-FCO40-1557-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 53

CODE 18-77

S$ 10/76

Mr Clift HKD

Reference..

SECRET

FUTURE OF HONG KONG: POLICY REVIEW

1.

I offer the following comments on the draft attached to your minute to Mr Donald of 15 December.

sentence:

substitute

In place of 'the right of 'ultimate administrative

Para 10, penult administration' authority while obtaining satisfactory assurances embodying the stated Chinese

Chinese intention of giving a high degree of autonomy to Hong Kong'.

Para 15, last sentence:

systems'

•

After

1

Add 'essential' maintained; '

add people

before current

'a

means of of Hong Kong

demonstrating acceptability to the (necessary for confidence);

·

Para 16 5th sentence: Add at end: 'although they might be willing to discuss a preliminary draft with us before they make it public'.

Para 16, 6th sentence:

In place of 'at the least' substitute 'the mini-constitution and'. Close the sentence at of autonomy and add: 'We should try to obtain a Chinese commitment (in line with their statement cited in para 14) that the agreed arrangements would continue until the SAR government decided otherwise. If this is not obtainable we must make clear the need for a commitment of Chinese non-interference for at least 50 years after 1997'.

16 December 1983

Kofolhe

KC Walker

Asian Region

Research Department OAB 2/125 273 3502

CC:

Mr Donald

Sir I Sinclair

Mr Thomson, FED

Mr Burrows, Legal Advisers

Miss Neville-Jones, Planning Staff

Mr Hum,

HKD

Mr Morris, HKD

Mr Hoare, HKD

SECRET