THE TWELVE POINTS IN THEIR PLAN TO FORM THE ENTIRE BASIC LAW FOR THE SAR. WANG SAID CERTAINLY NOT. THE BASIC LAW WOULD
HAVE TO BE MORE DETAILED. BUT MEMBERS OF THE TWO DELEGATIONS
WERE GENERALISTS. EXPERTS WOULD BE NECESSARY. EHRMAN ASKED WHETHER THIS MEANT THAT AT A CERTAIN POINT THE CHINESE WOULD
BE PREPARED TO ENGAGE WITH US IN EXPERT DISCUSSIONS. WANG
SAID THAT IF WE WERE TO TRY TO DO THIS FOR EVEN A FULL SIX MONTHS HE DOUBTED WHETHER WE COULD REACH AGREEMENT. WE DID NOT HAVE THAT MUCH TIME TO SPEND ON SUCH AN EXERCISE. EHRMAN SAID THAT, GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUE, SIX MONTHS WORK OR EVEN LONGER WOULD DE TIME WELL SPENT. HOW OTHERWISE COULD THE
BASIC LAW BE SATISFACTORILY ELABORATED? WANG SAID THAT CHINA WOULD CONSULT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ON THIS. THE DELEGATIONS
SHOULD NOW BE TRYING TO REACH AGREEMENT ON POINTS OF PRINCIPLE.
COMMENT
1
3. IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER JI AND WANG, WHEN THEY SPOKE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE, WERE REFERRING EXCLUSIVELYTO HONG KONG
COMPATRIOTS IT IS ALSO UNCLEAR WHEN THEY ENVISAGED THESE CONSULTATIONS TAKING PLACE. IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS, NEVERTHELESS THESE REMARKS TEND TOWARDS AN INTERPRETATION THAT THESE DETAILED PROVISIONS PROVISIONS
OF THE BASIC LAW WHICH THEY CONSIDER TO BE ENTIRELY THEIR INTERNAL AFFAIR (QUITE APART FROM DETAILS OF IMPLEMENTATION WHICH THEY ARGUE SHOULD BE LEFT TO THE SAR), WILL BE WORKED
OUT WITH HONG KONG COMPATRIOTS AFTER CHINA AND BRITAIN HAVE
REACHED AGREEMENT ON BROAD PRINCIPLES.
D G BLUNT
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