TNAG-1434-FCO40-1917-Hong-Kong-leading-personality-Sir-Yue-Kong-Pao--businessman-1986 — Page 115

36

GRS 500

CONFIDENTHAL

FM HONG KONG

TO #MMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1911

OF 19105OZ JUNE 86

CONTIDENTIAL

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKMING

HKK 010/2

RECH.

DE

2 0 JUN 1986

двоя

TOP COPY

YOUR TELNO 1137: STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT : VIEWS OF SIR Y.K. PAO

1. ALTHOUGH THE IDEA OF A CHINESE ''DEPUTY GOVERNOR'' HAS NOT

BEEN IN CIRCULATION HIN HONG KONG RECENTLY HT DMD HAVE SOME CURRENCY

TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO.

2. T HAS ECHOES OF DENG XIAOPING'S HIDEA THAT THE UK AND CHINA SHOULD CONSULT TOGETHER ON CHOOSING (HONG KONG CHINESE) CANDIDATES TO BE FUTURE OFFICIALS (SEE PARA 21 OF THE RECORD OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S DISCUSSION WITH DENG XIRAOPING OF 18 APRIL 1984): AND OF SIR Y.K'S OWN #DEA THAT ALL THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE DONE #S FOR THE CHINESE AND BRITISH TO GET TOGETHER AND CHOOSE SOMEONE ACCEPTABLE TO BOTH TO RUN HONG KONG THROUGH AND BEYOND THE TRANSFER OF

SOVEREIGNTY,

3. THE CHIEF SECRETARY S IN EFFECT ALREADY DEPUTY GOVERNOR IN AS FAR AS HE HIS NEXT #IN SENIORITY TO THE GOVERNOR AND ACTS AS HIS DEPUTY UNDER ARTICLE XVIMA OF THE LETTERS PATENT DURING SHORT ABSENCES OR WHENEVER THE PUBLIC INTEREST SO REQUIRES. TO TRY TO #INSERT ANOTHER TIER INTO THE SYSTEM WOULD RAHSE ALL SORTS OF COMPLICATED ISSUES ABOUT POWERS AND THE RELALONSHIPS WITH THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY AND ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO HAVE THE RIGHT OF DIRECT ACCESS TO THE GOVERNOR. SIR Y.K.S. DEA ALSO TAKES NO ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT WE SHALL NEED TO PLAN FOR A TRANSITION TO A CHIEF EXECUTIVE, UNLESS HIS THOUGHT IS THAT ONE OF THE DEPUTY GOVERNORS SHOULD BE TRANSORMED INTO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE.

4. HF THE DEA AS SET OUT IN PARA 2 OF YOUR TEL IS THAT BRITAIN AND CHINA SHOULD JOINTLY CHOOSE ONE DEPUTY GOVERNOR AS EARLY AS NEXT YEAR AND TWO DEPUTY GOVERNORS AFTER 1990, THEN THE DEA S FAR-FETCHED. DIRECT CHINESE PARTICIPATION IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG WOULD BE ADVANCED BY ABOUT 7 YEARS.

5. HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER SIR Y.K. HAD HIMSELF IN MIND: BUT AS

YOU KNOW HE HAS FAIRLY RECENTLY SUGGESTED INDIRECTLY THAT HE WOULD BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT AN APPOINTMENT HIMSELF TO A SENIOR POST - ALTHOUGH HE SEEMED THEN TO BE THINKING OF EXCO.

6. ON THE OTHER HAND I AM NOT CLEAR WHY YOU THINK THAT THE NOTION OF A BRITISH DEPUTY GOVERNOR

DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE AFTER 1997

IF BY THIS IS MEANT EXPATRIATE

<

S OUT OF THE QUESTION. IN THE

17.

SAME DISCUSSION REFERRED TO ABOVE, DENG XIAOPING'S APPROACH WAS MORE FLEXIBLE THAN YOUR TELEGRAM SUGGESTS.

CONFIDENTIAL

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