TNAG-1356-FCO40-1797-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 191

GRS 1000

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TO DESK BY 13120OZ FCO

ST HACK out! PA!

3

【CEIVED IN REGISTRY

15 NOV 1985

gule 252

TELNO 2490

OF 13105OZ NOVEMBER 85

INFO DESKBY 14010OZ PEKING

040/42 (76)

040/42

DESK OFFICUS INDEX

P

Fubeire

APCISTR

040/42 86

MY TELSNOS 2461 AND 2477 AND YOUR TELNO 1753: JOINT LIAISON

GROUP : REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG.

1. THERE WAS A THOROUGH DISCUSSION OF THE CHINESE PROPOSAL AT

EXCO TODAY. THE FOLLOWING SUMMARISES THE ASSESSMENT AND ADVICE OF

MEMBEPS, ON WHICH THERE WAS A CLEAR UNANIMITY OF VIEWS. MEMBERS

WERE FULLY ALIVE TO WHAT THE CHINESE WERE PROPOSING AND THE

POLITICAL BACKGROUND AGAINST WHICH IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED (SEE

MY FIRST IFT).

2. THE CHINESE OBJECTIVE APPEARED TO BE TWOFOLD:

(A) TO INVOLVE THEMSELVES, THROUGH THE JLG, IN OUR PLANS FOR THE

DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, AND IN PARTICULAR IN

THE 1987 REVIEW (SEE M.I.F.T. PARA 2): AND

(B) TO REITERATE THAT THEY HOLD HMG RESPONSIBLE FOP CHANGES TO THE

SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG BETWEEN NOW AND 1997. (THIS COULD

BE BECAUSE THE CHINESE HAD MISINTERPRETED THE STATEMENTS MADE BY

MR RENTON AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG ON 31 OCTOBER, TO THE

EFFECT THAT IT WAS UP TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO DEVELOP THEIP

OWN SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, TO MEAN THAT HMG HAD DECIDED TO LEAVE THE

ISSUES TO BE DECIDED IN HONG KONG.)

3. MEMBERS TOOK THE VIEW THAT IT WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR THERE TO

BE A DIALOGUE WITH THE CHINESE CONCERNING THE FUTURE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. THE AIM SHOULD BE TO ENSURE THAT THE SYSTEM DEVELOPED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD DOVETAIL

SMOOTHLY INTO THE SYSTEM TO BE STIPULATED IN THE BASIC LAW. THE

DIALOGUE MUST, HOWEVER, BE GENUINELY TWO-WAY, AND MUST COVER NOT ONLY OUR PLANS FOR FURTHER CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

BUT ALSO THE CHINESE PLANS FOR THE BASIC LAW.

4. MEMBERS WERE FIRM THAT IT WOULD BE WRONG TO DISCUSS THIS SUBJECT FORMALLY IN THE JLG, AT LEAST AT THIS EAPLY STAGE, FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

(A) THE DISCUSSION WOULD BE ONE-SIDED: IT WAS VERY UNLIKELY THAT THE CHINESE WERE INTENDING TO ALLOW ANY DISCUSSION OF THE BASIC LAW:

(B) WHEN IT BECAME KNOWN IN HONG KONG THAT THE SUBJECT HAD BEEN FORMALLY DISCUSSED IN THE JLG (AND THE CHINESE WERE NOT NOTED FOR KEEPING SECRETS), IT WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE SEEN AS AN INFRINGEMENT OF THE PROVISIONS IN THE JOINT DECLARATION THAT THE JLG SHALL PLAY INO PAR

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