TNAG-1345-FCO40-1775-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Joint-Liaison-Group-1984 — Page 12

CONFIDENTIAL

6. We believe that an important Chinese aim has already been achieved in the agreement that the Group will be established and will be based in Hong Kong after 1 July 1988. That is no doubt of considerable symbolic significance for the Chinese. The Group also gives them an institutional

institutional means to monitor and influence what goes on in the territory.

7. For the future we believe Chinese aims for the Group will be as

follows:

(a) to keep a close eye on the British administration

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

of Hong Kong, with particular reference to economic and budgetary policy;

through their institutional presence in Hong Kong and their participation in the Group gradually to increase their general influence on

on the Government and over all sectors of society;

to achieve a droit de regard over constitutional development and eventually over personnel decisions in the public service;

to educate their officials about the way

Hong Kong's capitalist system works;

as our aim under 5(a) and (d), but with an

overriding concern to ensure that autonomy in Hong Kong does not lead to the development of political

trends unacceptable to China.

PRACTICAL DECISIONS

In the light of these aims we need to begin considering a number of practical aspects of the work of the Joint Liaison Group, as set out below.

8.

(a)

9.

PROGRAMME OF WORK

In the initial period it is probably in our interests for the

CONFIDENTIAL