TNAG-1284-FCO40-1636-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 14

SECRET

that an elected Governor should follow elections

to the Executive

and Legislative Councils, for fear of undermining the credibility of

their claim that they are prepared to let Hong Kong people run

reaction was such as to make the final step of

electing a Governor unworkable, at

at least HMG would be seen to have

tried and the onus for the situation would fall on the Chinese.

Hong Kong. If their

14.

a

We do not find this a persuasive argument. It would me an

confrontation with the Chinese, in which not merely the arrangements

up to 1997 would be disrupted but the structure of the post-1997

agreement could be jeopardised. The placing of the blame on

on the

Chinese would be of no long-term advantage to the people of

Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Department

22 June

1984

SECRET