TNAG-1243-FCO40-1557-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 68

I

SECRET

3

Reference

A

Intersity

B

C

But what

Joes?

mamy suggestions which had already been received from them (Xu Saa on to journalists, 3 December).

3.

Jiatin

Seen in the light of the reported details above, some of the remarks those attributed to Ji Peng Fei sit oddly. According to reports on their visit to Peking by New Territories District Board members, Ji said that special provision would be made in China's constitution to provide for Hong Kong's legal and administrative systems and would be passed by the National People's Congress. Thereafter a "Mini-Constitution" would be prepared to cater for Hong Kong's special needs. The inference is that the "Mini-Constitution" will not be per se the Basic Law of the SAR but the elaboration of the principles the Law will enshrine. This ties in with:

(a) a remark passed by Yao Guang's Secretary at the Delegation dinner on 15 November;

(b) a report quoting a "Wide Angle" source

source as saying that the term "Mini-Constitution" would more correctly be described as "detailed provisions" for Special Administrative Regions.

Future reports and comment may help us to assess whether the "Mini-Constitution" equates only with the outlines of the Basic Law or refers to an elaboration of those outlines. Whatever the truth of the matter, Hong Kong people clearly remain sceptical about it. Despite the glowing terms in which some (eg New Evening Post Editoriala 16 November) have claimed that the concept "was a more than adequate guarantee of Hong Kong's future" and is seen by prominent Hong Kong residents as "reassuring",

'reassuring", (Wen Wei Po, 23 November) others have pointed out (Ming Pao 3 December) that it provides no cast iron guarantees. The Hong Kong Economic Journal (4 December) carried an article by the Chairman of "Meeting Point" arguing that the "Mini-Constitution" idea be the subject of an opinion poll. The Hong Kong Observers (quoted in Hong Kong Economic Journal and Ta Kung Pao 22 November) had earlier voiced the view that the "Mini-Constitution" should define clearly the powers of Hong Kong's administration and should also:

CODE 18-77

prevent a future local government from abusing its

(a)

powers;

(b)

ensure an independent judiciary;

(c) protect local residents' rights;

(d) define the powers of the legislature.

SJi and others have hinted that the kind of detail sought by

SECRET