TNAG-1356-FCO40-1797-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 87

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HONG KONG AS SUISEQUENTLY AMENDED DURING DISCUSSIONS IN HONG KONG -

COPY OF FULL TEXT OF SPEAKING NOTE TO HKD BY PAG, IN SUMMARY FAKING

THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

(A) DEVELOPMENTS IN REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WERE NOT ISOLATED EVENT

S,

BUT PART OF A LONGER PROCESS. EVOLUTION OF THE SYSTEM OF

GOVERNMENT REFLECTED THE GROWING NEEDS OF AN INCREASINGLY COMPLEX

AND SOPHISTICATED SOCIETY.

(B) THERE WAS A LONG TRADITION OF CONSULTATION IN HONG KONG.

(C) I IDENTIFIED DEVELOPMENTS WHICH HAD TAKEN PLACE SINCE THE

LATE 1960S.

(D) THE 1984 WHITE PAPER HAD RECOGNISED THE NEED TO ENSURE THAT

PROSPERITY AND STABILITY WERE NOT PUT AT RISK THROUGH THE INTRODUCTIO

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OF TOO MANY CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES TO0 RAPIDLY.

(E) THE NEW LEGCO WAS MODERATE. THIS SHOULD REASSURE THE CHINESE.

(F) MINISTERS HAD PERSONALLY MADE CLEAR AT A HIGH LEVEL THEIR

AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR PRUDENCE IN CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

WE WERE DETERMINED TO AVOID PREJUDICING STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.

A VIGOROUS PUBLIC DEBATE IN HONG KONG WAS NATURAL AND INEVITABLE:

THIS REFLECTED A VIGOROUS ECONOMIC SOCIETY. THIS SHOULD NOT BE A

MATTER OF CONCERN TO THE CHINESE. I STRESSED THAT NO DECISIONS

HAD YET BEEN TAKEN OR PRE-CONCEIVED IDEAS EXISTED ABOUT THE 1987

REVIEW AND THAT HMG HAD NO INTENTION OF ATTEMPTING TO IMPOSE ON

HONG KONG BEFORE A REPLICA OF THE BRITISH POLITICAL SYSTEM.

8. I THEN MADE THE TWO POINTS IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF YOUR TELNO 1814

TO HONG KONG, IE:

(A) WE WERE DETERMINED TO ADMINISTER HONG KONG WELL FOR THE NEXT

12 YEARS AND BE SEEN TO DO SO: WE HAD NOT AT PRESENT IDENTIFIED

ISSUES CALLING FOR CONSULTATION AND SOLUTION BY BOTH SIDES.

(B) OUR PROPOSAL FOR AN INFORMAL DIALOGUE OUTSIDE THE JLG.

I CONCLUDED BY EMPHASISING THE SENSITIVITY OF THE ISSUE: BOTH SIDES

MUST PROCEED CAREFULLY. I SOUGHT A REACTION TO THE IDEAS I HAD PUT

FORWARD YESTERDAY (PEKING TELNO 1726).

VETO

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