TNAG-1355-FCO40-1796-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 146

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

- 5 AUG 1985

FM HONG KONG 020955Z AUG 85

DESK OFFICER

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

INDEX

PA

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1570 OF 2 AUGUST

REGISTRY Action Take":

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

MIPT

DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT : COMMENTS BY MR.

XU JIATUN

FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF MR. ERIC HO'S ACCOUNT OF THE MAIN EXCHANGES

AT THE DINNER PARTY ON 1 AUGUST.

BEGINS.

MY WIFE AND I WERE INVITED TO DINNER LAST NIGHT BY

MR ROBERT C. KWOK OF JARDINES. AT FIRST THE VENUE WAS TO HAVE BEEN THE NAUTILUS CLUB. WHILE I WAS IN LONDON WITH THE JLG A CHANGE OF VENUE TO THE JARDINES PENTHOUSE, CONNAUGHT CENTRE, · WAS NOTIFIED.

2. ON ARRIVAL WE FOUND THE OTHERS PRESENT WERE MESSRS Q.W. LEE, T.K. ANN, SIMON KESWICK, XU JIATUN AND HIS INTERPRETER.

3. THE FIRST PART OF THE CONVERSATION CONCENTRATED ON CHINA TRADE LARGELY A MONOLOGUE BY KESWICK, WHO ASSERTED THAT ON ANY ONE DAY JARDINES HAD OVER 200 STAFF DIRECTLY WORKING ON THIS TRADE. IN THE COURSE OF DINNER THE TOPIC CHANGED TO THE BASIC LAW AND

HONG KONG/CHINA.

4. WHEN THE QUESTION OF THE TITLE OF THE FUTURE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE STRCUTURE OF THE SAR WAS RAISED, MR XU SUGGESTED THAT THIS COULD BEGIN TO TAKE SHAPE AFTER MARCH 1986 (WHEN THE CONSULTATIVE GROUPS WOULD COME INTO BEING), ADDING THAT THE TITLE WAS NOT IMPORTANT IF THE STRUCTURE SUITED HONG KONG'S NEEDS AND WORKED.

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5. ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG UNDERSTOOD CHINA AND VICE VERSA, MR LEE SAID IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT UNDER- STANDING WAS INCOMPLETE ON EACH SIDE, THOUGH IT WAS UNDERSTANDABLE

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