THE QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE
se
9. IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO GO IN ANY DEPTH INTO THE QUESTION
OF CONVERGENCE BETWEEN CHINESE PLANS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT UNTIL THE CHINESE GIVE AT LEAST SOME PRELIMINARY INDICATION OF HOW THEY SEE THE SYSTEM DESCRIBED IN
THE JOINT DECLARATION BEING TRANSLATED INTO A PRACTICAL PLAN.
IT IS HOWEVER POSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY SOME AREAS WHERE CHINESE AND
BRITISH IDEAS MAY CONVERGE EASILY: AND OTHER WHERE THEY MAY DIVERGE.
10. AS REGARDS THE GENERAL STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT THERE SHOULD BE
NO PROBLEM OF CONVERGENCE. HONG KONG ALREADY HAS A CHIEF EXECUTIVE
(THE GOVERNOR), AN EXECUTIVE (EXECUTIVE COUNCIL., AND LEGISLATURE
(LEGISLATIVE COUNC-H).
FORESAW AN SAR REGIONAL COUNCIL COMPOSED OF THE
SAR CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SOME HEADS OF REGIONAL DEPARTMENTS, AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE. THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS INCONSISTENT WITH THE PRESENT
STRUCTURE OF EXCO. THE PRESENT SYSTEM IS WELL TRIED AND EFFECTIVE
AS A METHOD OF GOVERNMENT. TO ACCOMMODATE CHINESE SENSITIVITIES,
THE NAMES MAY NEED TO BE CHANGED BUT THE BASIC STRUCTURE NEED
NOT BE.
11. DIFFERENCE MAY HOWEVER ARISE AS REGARDS A) THE POWERS OF THE
THREE INSTITUTIONS, AND B) THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM IN IN
PARTICULAR THE DEGREE OF ACCOUNTABILITY OF EACH TO THE OTHER ELEMENTS
IN THE STRUCTURE. NO GREAT CHANGE IS LIKELY TO BE MADE IN 1987 IN
THESE POWERS OR RELATIONSHIPS (EXCEPT POSSIBLY FOR THE GOVERNOR
CEASING TO PRESIDE AT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETINGS - SEE PART UP).
THE QUESTION IS THUS THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE CHINESE CAN BE BROUGHT
TO ACCEPT THE SUBSTANCE OF THE EXISTING DISTRIBUTION OF POWERS
BETWEEN THE THREE ELEMENTS: AND THE ESTABLISHED WORKING RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THEM.
Redacted Under' FOI Exemption Sec 27(1)
12. AN UNEXPLORED AREA IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE SAR CHIEF
EXECUTIVE TO THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT IN PEKING AND WHETHER THIS
RELATIONSHIP IS TO BE EXERCISED DIRECTLY OR THROUGH A CHINESE
GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE IN HONG KONG (P.E. IS THE SAR CHIEF
EXECUTIVE TO BE BOTH CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
REPRESENTATIVE, AS IS THE GOVERNOR: OR ONLY THE FIRST).
13. DIFFERENCES MAY ALSO ARISE AS REGARDS THE METHODS OF CHOOSING
REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SIZE OF THE LEGISLATURE. UNLESS THE
PROVISION FOR AN ELECTED LEGISLATURE IS TO BE A NULLITY, THERE WILL
NEED TO BE AT LEAST UNDIRECT ELECTIONS TO MOST SEATS IN THE SAR
LEGISLATURE. CHOOSING REPRESENTATIVES BY CONSULTATION, WITH A
SINGLE LIST OF CANDIDATES CONFIRMED BY SUBSEQUENT ''ELECTION'' IS
UNLIKELY TO CARRY CREDENCE IN HONG KONG (OTHER THAN AS A MEANS OF
CONFIRMING A MINORITY OF APPOINTED MEMBERS IF THIS CATEGORY IS
RETAINED). BEGINS SQUARE BRACKETS IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO PREDICT
THE EXTENT OF SUPPORT WHICH WILL BE FORTHCOMING FOR DIRECT
ELECTIONS FROM HONG KONG OPINION IN 1987 AND BEYOND. IT IS LIKELY
THAT DIRECT ELECTIONS FOR ONE QUARTER OF THE SEATS WOULD BE REGARDED
AS A LEGITIMATE EXPERIMENT. END SQUARE BRACKTES.
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