TNAG-1283-FCO40-1635-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 6

tikk

10/4

176

SECRET

FM HONG KONG 090500Z MAR 84

...vt.

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 632 OF 9 MARCH

HKCK QL0/4

178

HICFOR COPY

11/3

DLUK O

INDEX

9 MAR 1984

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

-

SFF?

مي

MY TELNO 519 AND PEKING TELNO 337: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: TEM 2:

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

1. THE MESSAGE WHICH IS COMING FROM THE CHINESE SEEMS TO BE THAT UNDER ITEM 2 THEY WILL BE EXPECTING US TO GIVE THEM A BRIEFING ON OUR PROPOSALS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG BETWEEN NOW AND 1997 (THE LATEST INDICATION IS GALSWORTHY'S

TELELETTER TO CLIFT OF 5 MARCH).

2. ON THIS WE SHALL HAVE TO BALANCE TWO FACTORS. ON THE ONE HAND WE MUST KEEP THE PROCESS OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT UNDER OUR OWN CONTROL AND NOT GIVE THE CHINESE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CLAIN THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT OF CONSULTATION. ON THE OTHER, IN PARA 16 OF OUR WORKING PAPER WE HAVE ASKED THE CHINESE TO CONFIRM THAT THE COMPOSITION, FUNCTIONS, PROCEDURES, POWERS AND DUTIES, AND METHODS OF APPOINTMENT OF LEGCO AND EXCO SHOULD REMAIN BASICALLY UNCHANGED FROM 1997 ONWARDS. THEY CAN LEGITMATELY ARGUE THAT THEY

CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO GIVE SUCH CONFIRMATION IN A BINDING AGREEMENT WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT WE EXPECT TO LEAVE BEHIND ON THAT DATE. IT IS, IN ANY CASE, IN THE LAST RESORT WITHIN THEIR POWER TO FRUSTRATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE HERE IF THEY OBJECT TO IT STRONGLY ENOUGH, SUCH INDICATIONS AS WE HAVE ARE THAT THEY WOULD NOT RESIST INDIRECT ELECTIONS TO LEGCO (AND THEN TO EXCO): BUT THEY ARE VERY SUSPICIOUS OF DIRECT ELECTIONS. IT WILL THEREFORE BE IN OUR INTERESTS TO TELL THEM AS SOON AS WE CAN WHAT WE

PROPOSE TO DO.

3. WE SHALL HAVE TO REACH DECISIONS BEFORE TOO LONG FOR OTHER REASONS. AS THE TIME FOR THE PUBLICATION OF THE DRAFT AGREEMENT APPROACHES WE MUST EXPECT STRONG PRESSURE ON US IN HONG KONG TO REVEAL OUR CONSTITUTIONAL PLANS. I ALSO ASSUME THAT PARLIAMENT WILL WISH TO KNOW BOTH WHAT IS PROPOSED AND THE REACTION TO IT IN HONG KONG IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR DEBATE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. THIRDLY I NEED TO STRUCTURE APPOINTMENTS TO LEGCO FROM THIS YEAR ONWARDS IN THE LIGHT OF SUCH PLANS.

Portion Taken

HOB

4. FOR REASONS WHICH ARE KNOWN TO YOU, IT REMAINS MY VIEW THAT THE BEST INTERESTS OF HONG KONG WOULD BE SERVED BY THE PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE HERE RATHER THAN BY TRYING TO MOVE DIRECTLY TO DIRECT ELECTIONS (AT LEAST DURING THIS DECADE). UNDER MY PROPOSED SCHEME, THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WOULD BE CHOSEN PARTLY BY A COLLEGIATE ELECTORATE FORMED FROM MEMBERS OF DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE REGIONAL COUNCILS: IN PART FROM ELECTIONS FROM FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES (INDUSTRY,

ETC.!: BANKING, UNIVERSITIES, THE PROFESSIONS, LABOUR ORGANISATIONS, AND IN PART FROM OFFICIAL MEMBERS. ONLY AT THE END OF SUCH A PROCESS

/SHOULD

SECRET

.

હૈ

•