TNAG-1434-FCO40-1917-Hong-Kong-leading-personality-Sir-Yue-Kong-Pao--businessman-1986 — Page 316

VBIAOO

CONFIDENTIAL

SIR Y K PAO'S CHEVENING WEEKEND 15-16 MARCH 1986

VIII. BASIC LAW

Background

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN

CLOSED UNDER

FOI EXEMPTION NO....27(0)

1.

Sir YK was

invited by the Chinese to become a Vice-Chairman

(one of 8) of the Basic Law Drafting Committee (BLDC) in June 1985.

The BLDC has 59 members (23 from Hong Kong) and

i s chaired by

Ji Pengfei, Director of State Council's Hong Kong and Macao Office.

The Hong Kong members of the BLDC have established Basic Law Consultative Committee (BLCC) in the territory. The BLCC has 150 members from a wide cross section of Hong Kong society, including 15

expatriates.

2.

We have welcomed the Chinese decision to consult Hong Kong

people on a wide basis on the drafting of the Basic Law.

The

Chinese are trying to deal carefully with Hong Kong opinion

3.

to be:

We understand the programme for the drafting of the Basic Law

(a)

(b)

(c)

BLCC will collect views. Prelimina ry 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 Standing Committee will be produced in late 1988- early 1989. Draft then published in Hong Kong;

BLDC will then produce revised draft for submission to the NPC Standing Committee in 1990, which will then be promulgated.

CONFIDENTIAL