TNAG-1311-FCO40-1673-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 20

GRS 1250

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 040/1

RECEIVA

20DEC1934

FROM PEKING 19190OZ DEC 84

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 3049 OF 19/12/94

INFO IMEDIATE HONG KONG

FOLLOWING FROM PRIVATE SECRETARY

SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH WU: 19 DECEMBER

SUMMARY

JAKSH

31/711

see hilso

040

984

460

040/30 2400/57 0x0/59. €

WU REAFFIRMED ZHAO'S ASSURANCE TO SOLICIT HONG KONG OPINION IN DRAFTING THE BASIC LAW AND TOOK NOTE OF OUR OFFER OF ADVICE AND HELP. SECRETARY OF STATE TOLD WU THAT OFFICIALS FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE BRITISH DELEGATION IN THE JOINT LAISON GROUP. WU AGREED TO CONSIDER JOINT REGISTRATION OF THE AGREEMENT IN THE U N. WU SAID THAT OUR PROPOSED FORMULA ON THE FUTURE NATIONALITY STATUS OF BDTCS WAS UNACCEPTABLE. THE SECRETARY OF STATE RAISED CLAIMS AND AIR SERVICES.

WU SAID THAT PEOPLE WERE WORRYING UNNECESSARILY ABOUT CONSCRIPTION

QIN HONG KONG.

DETAIL

2. THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD A SEPARATE MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER WU AFTER THE BANQUET THIS EVENING IN ORDER TO DISCUSS A NUMBER OF OUTSTANDING POINTS FROM THE NEGOTIATIONS.

BASIC LAW

3. THE SECRETARY OF STATE RECALLED THE PRIME MINISTER'S REMARKS AT HER MEETING WITH ZHAO THIS MORNING. HE STRESSED THAT, WHILE THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW WAS A MATTER FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, IT WAS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO GET IT RIGHT. THE WORDING HAD TO BE SUITABLE FOR A CAPITALIST SYSTEM, AND FOR APPLICATION IN THE HONG KONG COURTS. THE BASIC LAW WOULD BE SCRUTINISED WITH THE SAME INTENSITY AS THE JOINT DECLARATION HAD BEEN. WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO OFFER ALL THE HELP WE COULD, SUCH AS THROUGH JOINT CONSULTATIONS, ON PRACTICAL MATTERS.

4. WU SAID THAT THE BASIC LAW WOULD REFLECT THE JOINT DECLARATION AS AGREED. AS PREMIER ZHAO HAD SAID, THE CHINESE WOULD SOLICIT OPINION IN HONG KONG ON A WIDE BASIS. THESE WOULD INCLUDE PEOPLE EXPERT IN LEGAL PROCEDURES AS WELL AS OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM. ZHAO NAN INTERVENED AT THE END OF THE DISCUSSION TO EMPHASISE THAT WHEN WU HAD SPOKEN OF SOLICITING OPINIONS HE MEANT ONLY THE OPINIONS OF THE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, ALTHOUGH REGARDLESS OF NATIONALITY. THE IMPLICATION OF THIS REMARK WAS THAT THIS WAS NO ROLE FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AS SUCH, ALTHOUGH THIS WAS NOT STATED EXPLICITLY, THE SECRETARY OF STATE REPEATED OUR OFFER OF HELP AND ADVICE. THIS WAS NOTED.

-1- CONFIDENTIAL

/ JOINT.