TNAG-1329-FCO40-1756-Future-of-Hong-Kong-test-of-the-acceptability-of-the-Joint-D-1984 — Page 106

POINTS TO MAKE

CONFIDENTIAL

1.

Would you be willing to serve as a member of the monitoring team

to be appointed as part of arrangements to test the acceptability in

Hong Kong of an agreement with the Chinese Government?

2.

Before the end of September we hope to initial an agreement with

the Chinese Government on the future of Hong Kong. We are committed

to testing the acceptability of this agreement to the people of Hong

Kong.

The test of acceptability will take the form of a process of

consultation.

3.

The text of the agreement, together with an explanatory

memorandum, will be widely distributed in Hong Kong with an invitation

to the population to comment. Their views will be collected and

analysed by an assessment office set up under the authority of the

Governor. It will have the task of submitting a report through the

Governor to HMG and Parliament.

A team of two independent monitors, appointed by HMG, will observe

the work of the assessment office and submit its own report on whether

the office has properly discharged its duties. It will not itself

receive expressions of public views or assess public opinion.

4.

The Prime Minister has agreed that you should be asked to serve as

one of the two monitors. The other will be a Hong Kong Justice of Appeal.

5.

6. The exact timing of the test of acceptability cannot yet be

forecast, but it is likely to begin at the end of September and end with

the submission of a report by the assessment office in late November.

CONFIDENTIAL