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FM HONG KONG 13091OZ FEB 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 364 OF 13 FEBRUARY
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
MIPT: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: WORKING PAPER ON CONSTITUTIONAL
ARRANGEMENTS AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE.
1. FOLLOWING ARE POINTS TO BE MADE:
(1) ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SUBJECTS IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS.
NOTHING IN OUR PROPOSALS WHICH IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE CHINESE
PREMISE AND THE 12 POINT PLAN.
(2) PROPOSALS ARE DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM CONTINUITY OF THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES ON WHICH THE PRESENT SYSTEM OPERATES, AND WHICH ARE OF VITAL IMPORTANCE IF CONFIDENCE IS TO BE PRESERVED,
1.E. SEPARATION OF EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL POWERS
AND A LARGE MEASURE OF AUTONOMY IN THE ENACTMENT OF LEGISLATION
AND THE PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINING POLICY IN A WIDE RANGE OF
SUBJECTS.
(3) THE PAPER CONTAINS GENERAL PROPOSITIONS WHICH WILL NEED TO BE REFINED BEFORE THEY WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR INCORPORATION IN THE
BASIC LAW TO ESTABLISH THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FUTURE HONG KONG
SAR AS A REPLACEMENT FOR THE LETTERS PATENT AND ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS.
(4) THE PAPER DOES NOT REFER TO THE COLONIAL REGULATIONS BECAUSE
. THESE ARE NOT CONSTITUTIONAL INSTRUMENTS. SOME OF THEM WILL BE
REPLACED BY HONG KONG LAW. OTHERS ARE ALREADY COVERED BY INTERNAL
HONG KONG REGULATIONS. SOME WILL SIMPLY NOT APPLY AFTER 1997.
(5) CERTAIN GENERAL PROVISIONS OF THE CHINESE CONSTITUTIONARE
INCONSISTENT WITH THE SYSTEMS WHICH THE BASIC LAW FOR THE FUTURE
HONG KONG SAR WOULD BE DESIGNED TO PRESERVE. IT IS ASSUMED THAT
THE CHINESE WOULD DECLARE THAT THESE PROVISIONS IN THE CONSTITUTION
OF THE PRC DID NOT APPLY IN HONG KONG.
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(b) THE NEED
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