TNAG-1306-FCO40-1663-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 92

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15

LIKICO Goll

ZOG VED IN REGISTRY

13 JAN 1984

SK JERME

FM PEKING 110200Z JAN 84

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 50 OF 11 JANUARY

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG AND UKMI'S NEW YORK (PERSONAL FOR

SHR E YOUDE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG)

MKK040/3@

HONG KONG TELNO 61: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: JI PENGFE'S REMARKS ON A CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL

1. THE MDEA OF A CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL REPORTED IN PARA 2

*ken

CHIS

OF TUR MS NEW TO US. HOWEVER WE THINK THE USE F THE WORD ''CONSULTATIVE''

** BY JN ALMOST CERTAINLY MEANS THAT THE CHINESE ARE THINKING IN TERMS OF A BODY ANALAGOUS TO THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S POLITICAL CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE (CPPCC). IN CHINA THIS IS A BODY WHICH PURPORTEDLY REPRESENTS ALL SHADES OF OPINION ESPECIALLY THOSE OUTSIDE THE COMMUNIST PARTY AND IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE AN ADVISORY AND CONSULTATIVE ROLE VIS A VIS THE CENTRAL PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT. HN PRACTICE IT HAS NO POWER AT ALL AND S USED AS AN INSTRUMENT OF UNITED FRONT POLICY.

2. OUR READING OF JI'S REMARKS IS THAT HE WAS NOT REFERRING TO THE CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL AS THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG (AS IN PARA 1(C) OF UKMIS NEW YORK TELNO 31) BUT AS AN ADJUNCT

FikkÓ494(20 TO THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG AFTER 1997.

See (34) See HKKodok (7)

3. WE ALSO VERY MUCH DOUBT WHETHER JH HAD IN MIND THE INCLUSION OF OUTSIDERS ON THE COUNCIL. WE SUSPECT THAT HE WAS REFERRING TO PERSONS OF ALL SHADES OF OPINION HIN HONG KONG (DOUBTLESS INCLUDING SOME FOREIGN RESIDENTS) ON THE ANALOGY OF THE CHINESE CPPCC. THE COUNCIL ENVISAGED BY JIS THEREFORE ALMOST CERTAINLY QUITE DIFFERENT HN CONCEPTION FROM THE ADVISORY COMMISSION WITH INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION WHICH UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF EXCO AND LEGCO HAVE SUGGESTED WE SEEK AS AN ADDITIONAL ASSURANCE

(PARA 3 (B) OF HONG KONG TELNO 35). MKK040/4

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