general breing the
Sir Yue-Kong Pao
C.B.E.. LLD., REIVED IN REGISTRY
1 JUL 1985
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Mr. Richard Luce, MP
Minister of State
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
ENGLAND
Dear Richard
21st June, 1985,
in Galsworthy, Had
su
27
Thank you for your letter of 7th June. It was a great regret to me also that we were unable to see each other in London but of course I fully understand that with Geoffrey away and so many prominent visitors in London at the time, you had a full schedule. I do hope that when I am next in London, there will be another opportunity for us to lunch together and have an exchange of views.
As you undoubtedly know, I have just been officially invited to be one of the Vice Chairmen of the Drafting Committee of Hong Kong's Basic Law. I was planning to discuss this with you also at our meeting in June, and of course mentioned it also to the Prime Minister. She was all for my accepting the appointment.
There has recently been quite a bit of turmoil on the Hong Kong financial scene, but with Government's timely and effective intervention, the situation is beginning to calm down again.
I note that the elective process for the Legislative Council is to commence as early as September 1985. Personally, I always felt that the 12-year run-up to 1997 is a crucial period during which nothing should be precipitated, and since Britain has given her assurances that she will con- tinue to be fully responsible for the administration of Hong Kong during that period, it is vitally important that full control is maintained over affairs here. Any changes that are required should be brought about gradually and systematically, and I would have thought the first four- years of the transition period should probably be a stage
Cont'd.
2/-
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