TNAG-1355-FCO40-1796-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 93

GRS 180

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2107

OF 09064OZ OCTOBER 85

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

194

CONFIDENTIAL

PA

YOUR TELNO 1501: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AND THE BASIC LAW

WE AGREE WITH PARA 1 OF YOUR TEL UNDER REF. BUT TO SAY THAT THE

DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW IS ''PRIMARILY'' A MATTER FOR THE

CHINESE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT, TO MY MIND, NECESSARILY IMPLY THAT HMG

OR THE HKG MIGHT HAVE A ROLE IN THE DRAFTING PROCESS. WE HAVE

BEEN USING THIS FORMULATION IN HONG KONG AND THERE HAS BEEN NO

ADVERSE REACTION FROM THE CHINESE.

2. I ALSO AGREE WITH PARA 3 OF TUR, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE KEEN NOT

TO SAY ANYTING WHICH SUGGESTS THAT WE ACCEPT THAT THE DRAFTING

OF THE BASIC LAW IS (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) ENTIRELY A MATTER FOR THE CHINESE. GIVEN THIS, AND SINCE THE USE OF 'PRIMARILY HAS

NOT CAUSED ANY PROBLEM SO FAR, WE WOULD PREFER TO CONTINUE TO

USE IT. BUT WE DO NOT FEEL STRONGLY ON THE ISSUE. WE CAN ALWAYS

USE THE PHRASE THE (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) ACTUAL DRAFTING''

USED BY THE P.M.

YOUDE

1

HKK Ollll

IFCENTED IN REGISTRY 10 OCT 1985

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

LIMITED

XD/ HID

1957

DESK OFFICEN

INDEX

"EGISTRY

PA

on Taken

HD/ TED

HD/ PLANNING STAFF

ED/ PUSD

DEP ID/ PUSD

RESEARCH D (MR WALKER)

PS

PS/LADY YOUNG

PS/MR RENTON

PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING

DR WILSON

COPIES TO:

MR ROBERTS,

MR FIFOOT,

NEWS DEPT LEGAL ADVISERS

MR MARTIN, ASSESSMENT STAFF,

CABINET OFFICE.

SIR P CRADOCK, NO.10 DOWNING STR.

CONFIDENTIAL

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