TNAG-1434-FCO40-1917-Hong-Kong-leading-personality-Sir-Yue-Kong-Pao--businessman-1986 — Page 289

او

SECRET

BATTLE WITH HONG KONG LAND FOR THE WHARF COMPANY IN 1980. THE

OVERTONES COULD BE RACIAL. PURVES, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN DESIGNATE

OF THE HONG KONG BANK, IS TRYING TO AVOID SUCH A BATTLE AND I HAVE

MADE CLEAR THAT SEE NO PROFIT FOR HONG KONG NAT. BUT THE

COMMERCIAL AMBITIONS OF THE TWO SIDES MAY PROVE HRRECONCILABLE.

5. WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS ANY TRUTH IN THE IDEA (AND Y K PAO

HIMSELF DENIES IT) HE MS ALSO BELIEVED BY MANY IN HONG KONG TO

HAVE POLITICAL AMBITIONS, AND TO BE USING HIS CONTACTS WITH PEKING

TO THIS END. HE MAINTAINS THAT HE IS SIMPLY TRYING TO CONTRIBUTE TO

GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND PEKING AND TO A SMOOTH

TRANSITION. HOWEVER, THE IMPRESSION THAT HE WAS USING HIS

CHINESE CONTACTS IN THE DRAGONAIR CONTEXT OBVIOUSLY GOT THE CHINESE

WORRIED (SEE HONG KONG TELNO 725).

6. YOU WILL RECALL THAT AS VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING

COMMITTEE HE WAS MUCH #NVOLVED IN THE FORMATION OF THE BASIC LAW

CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE AND A CENTRAL FIGURE IN THE ROW ABOUT THE

''ELECTION OF THE EXECUTIVE OF THE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE. LOCAL

OPINION ACCUSED THE NCNA OF PUTTING UP THE LIST OF EXECUTIVE

COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHICH WAS APPROVED NEM.CON. Y K PAO LATER CLAIMED

TO HAVE BEEN THE AUTHOR OF THE LIST THUS TAKING THE HEAT OFF NCNA.

(SEE THE BACKGROUND TO THIS IN HONG KONG TELNO 2844.)

7. Y K PAO HAS NO SYMPATHY AT ALL WITH REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

AND COULD WELL ARGUE WITH MINISTERS THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

HAVE GONE OFF THE RAILS IN PURUSING IT. HIS VERSION OF A SMOOTH

TRANSITION IS MUCH THE SAME AS DENG XIAOPING'S, .E. THE BRITISH

AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS SHOULD GET TOGETHER IN THE MID-1990'S AND

CHOOSE A CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO RUN HONG KONG IN MUCH THE SAME WAY

AS THE GOVERNOR IS BELIEVED BY SOME TO RUN IT NOW.

HE HAS NO REGARD AT ALL FOR THE ROLE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

BUT RECENTLY GAVE AN INDIRECT HINT TO A SENIOR OFFICIAL THAT HE

WOULD BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT APPOINTMENT HIMSELF TO ONE OF THE

SENFOR COUNCILS (.E. EXCO). DID NOT BITE. FOR ALL HIS STAKE

IN HONG KONG, AND HIS INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS, HE IS STILL VERY MUCH THE 'SHANGHA!'! MAN WHO DOES NOT FIT EASILY INTO THE HONG KONG

CANTONESE COMMUNITY.

2. SECRET

RET

18.