TNAG-1286-FCO40-16372-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong.-Part-2-of-2-1984 — Page 191

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TOP CO

GRS 350

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DESKBY FCO 2514OOZ

DESK BY HK 26010OZ

FROM PEKING 25112OZ JULY 84

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1619 OF 25//7/84

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG.

FOLLOWING FROM GOVERNOR.

(774)

HKK olll 3.

ولانا خالد لاله رسمة

/ JUL 164

:: Take:

No

Bur

for

YOUR TELNO 1393: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

1. YOU WILL SEE FROM MY TELNO 1586 THAT I HAVE BEEN THINKING ON SIMILAR LINES. BEFORE ANY TEXT CAN BE PUT TO THE CHINESE AND THE SUBSTANCE OF WHAT IT WOULD SAY ON THE QUESTION OF THE TRANSITION IN 1997 WILL NEED TO BE DISCUSSED BY EXCO. THIS IS WHY I HAVE PROPOSED THAT IT BE PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM ON JULY 26.

2. THE FORMULA I HAD IN MIND WAS SLIGHTLY MORE SPECIFIC THAN THE ONE IN YOUR TUR AND WOULD READ AS FOLLOWS:

''AS FROM 1993 THE TWO SIDES SHALL CONSULT TOGETHER ON ARRANGEMENTS TO ENSURE THE CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT OVER THE CHANGEOVER PERIOD IN 1997.'* (THIS MIGHT BE INSERTED IN WHICHEVER OF OUR DOCUMENTS COVERS THE INTERIM PERIOD).

3. THIS FORMULA, AND SPECIFYING A COMMENCING DATE FOR CONSULTATIONS, WOULD HAVE THREE ADVANTAGES. FIRSTLY, IT WOULD BE EVIDENT THAT THE CHINESE NEED NOT BE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT BEFORE THAT DATE. SECONDLY, THE POSSIBLE IMPLICATION IN YOUR FORMULA THAT THE TWO GOVERNMENTS HAD BEEN UNABLE TO AGREE ON SUCH ARRANGEMENTS, OR WHEN THEY SHOULD BE MADE, WOULD BE REMOVED. THIRDLY IT WOULD INDICATE, EVEN IF ONLY BY IMPLICATION,

ON 1 JULY 1997. THAT WE DID NOT ENVISAGE ALL CHANGE''

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