GR 300 SECRET
DESK BY HONG KONG 31010OZ
FM PEKING 30113OZ MAY 84
Secret
DEJ
HKK
雾
01113
3:
30% UK
kefilla
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1003 OF 30 MAY
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
FOLLOWING FOR CLIFT FROM GOVERNOR
132
FUTURE EGRET: YOUR TELNO 556: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT 1. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEND YOU A REVISED DRAFT OF THE GREEN PAPER EARLY NEXT WEEK. SUBJECT TO MY CONSULTING MY ADVISERS IN HONG KONG ON MY RETURN, I THINK IT WILL HAVE TO GO TO EXCO WITH THE PROPOSITIONS NOW CONTAINED IN IT BECAUSE THOSE WERE THE PROPOSITIONS WHICH THEY ENDORSED IN THE EARLIER PAPER. IF MINISTERS WERE NOW TO TAKE A DIFFERENT VIEW WE SHOULD BE IN A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION INDEED.
2. 1 THINK TABLING IN LECCO IN MID-JULY IS TOO LATE. OUR PROPOSALS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT ARE THE MISSING PIECE IN THE PATTERN OF ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WE PROPOSE FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND WITHOUT THE GREEN PAPER THE PICTURE OUTLINED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN HIS FIRST UNVEILING STATEMENT WILL BE INCOMPLETE. UNTIL IT HAS BEEN COMPLETED WE CANNOT DO MUCH IN THE WAY OF PREPARING OPINION IN HONG KONG FOR THE TOTAL PACKAGE.
3. I THINK THEREFORE THAT THE DRAFT GREEN PAPER SHOULD BE CIRCULATED TO EXCO AS SOON AS IT IS READY, OBSERVING THE TWO WEEKEND RULE AND NOTING THAT IT HAD NOT AT THAT STAGE BEEN SEEN BY MINISTERS. IT COULD GO TO MINISTERS AT ABOUT THE SANS TIME AND ANY VIEWS WHICH MINISTERS WISH TO EXPRESS ON IT DURING THE INTERVENING WEEK COULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AT THE SUBSEQUENT
EXCO MEETING.
4. WE SHALL ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER WHEN AND HOW TO INFORM THE
CHINESE.
EVANS
LIMITED
HEAD/HKD HEAD / FED
MR WILSON
COPIES
SIR P
To:
Secret
CRADOCK
MR BURROWS, LEGAL ADVISER
133
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