TNAG-1288-FCO40-1639-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 21

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CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL

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377

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1.

386

HKCK 011/3

FM FCO 191628Z

NOVEMBER 84

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 2292 OF 19 NOVEMBER

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

(75)

-(3761

No

Pu

Mm

YOUR TELNOS 3517 AND 3518: WHITE PAPER ON FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

1.

WE HAVE ONLY MINOR COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT SPEECH. IN OUR

VIEW IT IS PARTICULARLY HELPFUL THAT IT PLACES FURTHER

CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE FIRMLY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE

PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE.

2.

A)

YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING SMALL CHANGES.

PARA 3. SUB-PARA 3, THE MEANING OF THE FIRST SENTENCE IS

A LITTLE UNCLEAR. WE SUGGEST IT MIGHT BE AMENDED TO READ

'THIRD, TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PROPOSALS TO BE TESTED IN

THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE, AND TO HOLD ETC'.

B.

PARA 5. SECOND SENTENCE. WE SUGGEST THAT THE WORDS 'AND

THE TRANSITION' BE OMITTED. THIS WOULD AVOID ANY MISUNDERSTAND-

ING THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT COULD RELATE DIRECTLY

TO THE GOVERNMENT, EXECUTIVE, AND LEGISLATURE DURING THE

TRANSITIONAL PERIOD.

C.

PARA 7. LAST SENTENCE. WE THINK IT MIGHT BE BEST TO AVOID

THE PHRASE 'POLITICAL FORCES'. THIS COULD POSSIBLE BE

INTERPRETED, BY THE CHINESE AMONG OTHERS, AS AN INDICATION THAT

WE EXPECT OR WISH TO ENCOURAGE RAPID POLITICIZATION IN HONG

KONG DURING THE NEXT FEW YEARS. A MORE NEUTRAL FORMULATION

WOULD BE 'AND THE EVOLUTION OF PUBLIC OPINION THAT WILL ACCOMPANY

THAT PROCESS WILL BE RELEVANT TO THE DEBATE'.

D. PARA 19. THIRD SENTENCE. WE SUGGEST THAT 'AND' SHOULD

REPLACE THE WORD 'BUT' IN THIS SENTENCE. IT WOULD THEN READ

'BUT THERE WAS STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE IDEA OF A REVIEW, AND

ALSO A WIDELY EXPRESSED FEELING...'

HOWE

į

HONG KONG AGREEMENT

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF

HD/PUSD

DEP HD/PUSD

RESEARCH DEPT (MR WALKER)

PS

PS/MR LUCE

PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING

MR WILSON

SIR J FREELAND

COPIES TO: (VIA ADR)

MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR BURROWS, LEGAL ADVISERS

MR MARTIN, ASST STAFF CABINET

OFFICE

MR CARTLEDGE, CABINET OFFICE MR COLVIN, CABINET OFFICE

SIR P CRADOCK, NO 10 DOWNING ST SIR P CRADOCK, ROOM K195

CONFIDENTIAL