CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
HK Hing 10/2
RECETTES JAN. GISTRY
- 4 OCT 1985
TO INMEDIATE FOO
TEL JU 2056
UF 03034JZ OCTOBER 35
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
12
PA
Action Tan
:
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
INFO PRIORITY HKGO'S LONDON, CENEVA, BRUSSELS, WASHINGTON, NEW YORK INFO PRIORITY UKMIS GENEVA
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AND THE BASIC LAW
>
TODAY'S HONGKONG STANDARD CARRIED THE BANNER HEADLINE **REFORMS: HK TO CONSULT BEIJING!! WITH THE SUB-HEADLINE READING ''THE DEPUTY CHIEF SECRETARY, PR. ALAN SCOTT, YESTERDAY DISCLOSED THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSULT CHINA BEFORE TAKING THE NEXT STEP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT''
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2. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THESE HEADLINES REPRESENT A GROSS NISINTERPRETATION OF WHAT SCOTT SAID YESTERDAY AT AND AFTER A SEMINAR ON SOVEREIGNTY AND REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT' ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY, AND ARE UNSUPPORTED BY THE BODY OF THE REPORT ITSELF. (BY CONTRAST THE SCM POST REPORT WAS ACCURATE AND COMPREHENSIVE). SCOTT'S MAIN MESSAGE WAS THAT, IN CONDUCTING THE 1937 REVIEW ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, WE WOULD HAVE FULL REGARD TO THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND WOULD BE CONSULTING HONG KONG PEOPLE EXTENSIVELY. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WERE ALSO CONSULTING HONG KONG PEOPLE ON A WIDE BASIS IN CONNECTION WITH THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW. GIVEN THAT THE TWO EXERCISES WOULD BE PROCEEDING MORE OR LESS IN PARALLEL, AND THAT MUNG KONG PEOPLE WOULD BE CONSULTED, IT WAS UNLIKELY FOR THEM TO HOVE IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
3. 3Y WAY OF BACKGROUND, EVER SINCE THE APPEARANCE OF VARIOUS INDICATIONS OF CHINESE CONCERN OVER POLITICAL REFORMS IN HONG KONG (2.3. XU JIATUN'S SPEECH ON FACING THE FUTURE''), THE MEDIA HAVE BEEN INCREASINGLY ANXIOUS TO FIND OUT WHETHER WE WOULD BE CONSULTING THE CHINESE ON OUR NEXT STEP, AND HAVE GIVEN UP NO UPPORTUNITY TO TACKLE SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ON THIS QUESTION. IN VIEW OF THIS, ALL SECRETARIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED WITH GUIDELINES IN THE FORM OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTION AND ANSWER BRIEF AND HAVE BEEN ADVISED NOT TO GO OUTSIDE ITS SCOPE.
(01)
(A1)
IN CONDUCTING THE 1937 REVIEW, WILL THE HKG TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CHINESE VIEWS?
THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION SETS OUT CERTAIN PRINCIPLES FOR THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT AFTER 1997 (JAMELY: THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATURE OF THE HONG KONG SAR SHALL BE COMPOSED OF LOCAL INHABITANTS SEMICOLON THAT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE SHALL BE SELECTED BY ELECTION OR THROUGH
CONSULTATIONS HELD LOCALLY SEMICOLON THAT THE LEGISLATURE / SHALL
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