TNAG-1357-FCO40-1798-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 92

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interference until 1997.

severe.

The blow to confidence would then be

Hong Kong Government's views

10.

Hong Kong are committed to a a review in 1987. They have

on what options should then be

The sort of changes they are

way fall broadly into the

as yet formulated no firm views presented to Hong Kong opinion.

considering in a preliminary following categories:

(a)

The Governor: Measures

increase delegation to Chief

Secretary so as to prepare for latter assuming functions

of eventual Chief Executive.

(b)

Executive Council:

Confine membership progressively to

members of LegCo.

(~)

Legislative Council:

on

Encourage

formation of Committees

policy areas, and emergence of subject leaders through them. Increase indirectly elected component and introduce a small directly elected component.

11.

The Hong Kong Government wi sh to achieve further constitutional progress before the publication of the Basic Law

shackles them, but they accept that it would be not only

useless, but positively damaging in Hong Kong if China was to

denounce any reforms. Thus they are now anxious to

an informal dialogue with the Chinese with the aim of:

establish

(a)

preventing further misunderstandings;

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