TNAG-1439-FCO40-1923-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 120

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 933

OF 26094OZ MARCH 86

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

SEORET

HK KO!!!!

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 26 MAR 1986

!

TOP COPY

PA

Action Taken

Ab 26/2

YOUR TELNO 563 AND PEKING TELND

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, THE BASIC LAW AND THE 1987 REVIEW.

1. THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE TEXT #N HONG KONG TELNO 851:

A) PARA 1. THE ANNUAL 1984-5 ANNUAL REPORT TO PARLIAMENT ON HONG KONG (PARA. 22) MAKES A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN THE 1987 REVIEW AND THE 1988 ELECTIONS. WE ARE NEVERTHELESS CONTENT TO ACCEPT YOUR AMENDMENT, SO THAT THE PARAGRAPH NOW READS

**HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT HAVE GIVEN A COMMITMENT TO THE UNITED KINGDOM PARLIAMENT THAT THERE WILL BE A REVIEW IN 1987 OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG.''

B) PARA. 2. WE BELIEVE THAT THE CHINESE WILL HAVE AN ADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONSULTATIVE PROCESS FROM THE 1984 EXERCISE AND THAT THEREFORE THE PARAGRAPH DOES NOT NEED TO BE EXPANDED. T HAS, HOWEVER, BEEN AMENDED TO READ AS IN PARA 1(A) OF PEKING TUR.

C) PARA 3. DATE CHANGED AS PROPOSED.

D) PARA 6 NOW READS

**IT WAS STATED IN THE 1984 WHITE PAPER THAT THE GOVERNOR WILL CONTINUE TO BE APPOINTED FORMALLY BY THE QUEEN UNTIL 1997 AND THERE WAS STRONG PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THIS. THE WHITE PAPER SAND THAT ANY PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE IN THE POSITION AND ROLE OF THE GOVERNOR WOULD NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND HIT WAS STATED THAT THESE IMPORTANT MISSUES WOULD BE CONSIDERED AT A LATER STAGE. THER HAS BEEN LITTLE COMMENT IN HONG KONG ON THE POSITION OF THE GOVERNOR IN GENERAL, EXCEPT AS PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (SEE PARA 7 BELOW), AND HAS POSITION IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE RAISED EXCEPT IN THAT CONTECT.''

E) PARA 8. LAST SENTENCE DELETED. (BUT AS YOU WILL RECALL THE GOVERNOR WAS CRITICHISED FOR ENDORSING THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSAL TO DISPENSE WITH JURIES IN COMPLEX COMMERCIAL CRIME CASES BEFORE THE MATTER WAS DEBATED IN LEGCO.):

F) PARA 11 NOW STARTS

''THE CHANGES MADE IN 1985 IN THE METHODS OF SELECTING SOME

MEMBERS OF ...*

SECRET

/G)

1.56

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