TNAG-1434-FCO40-1917-Hong-Kong-leading-personality-Sir-Yue-Kong-Pao--businessman-1986 — Page 235

JH1AHN

CONFIDENTIAL

SIR Y K PAO'S CALL ON THE PRIME MINISTER: 21 MARCH 1985

Essential Facts

1. Sir Y K Pao last called on the Prime Minister on 3 October

1985.

Basic Law

2.

invited was

Sir Y K Pa o

by the Chinese to become a

Vice-Chairman (one of 8) of the Basic

Basic Law Drafting Committee

(BLDC) in

June 1985. The BLDC has 59 members (23 from Hong Kong) and is chaired by Ji Pengfei, Director of State Council's of the BLDC Hong Kong and Macau Office. The Hong Kong members of

have established

in (BLCC) Basic Law Consultative Committee a

the territory. The BLCC

BLCC has 150 members from a wide cross

section of Hong Kong society, including 15 expatriates.

3.

We have welcomed the Chinese decision to consult Hong Kong

the Basic Law. The people in a wide basis the drafting of

on Chinese are trying to deal carefully with Hong Kong opinion but

the way

the appointment of the they engineered

seven office

holders of the BLCC against its constitution (probably with Sir Y K's cooperation) shook confidence in their willingness really

to consult the people of Hong Kong.

4. We understand the programme for the drafting of the Basic

Law to be:-

(a)

(b)

•

BLCC will collect views

Preliminary text will

be produced by the drafting committee in early 1988. This will be published in Hong Kong for further consultation by the BLCC;

Draft Basic Law for submission to the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee will be produced in late 1988/early

1989. Draft then published in Hong Kong;

CONFIDENTIAL