25 JUN 1986
OF 23084OZ JUNE 86
INFO AMMEDHATE PEKING.
DESK
INDEX
GRS 750
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1945
Redacted under FOI Exemption S 27(1),
CONFIDENTIAL
HRKOULL.
RECEIVED IN HEGISTRY
©
(XJ)
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Act.or
FCO TELSNOS 1116, 1132, 1157 AND OUR TELNO 1184: STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT
(65
066
1. AS FORESHADOWED IN OUR TUR, ZHOU NAN'S EXCHANGE WITH MR RENTON
ON 11 JUNE AT THE CHINESE EMBASSY WAS CONSIDERED BY EXCO ON
20 JUNE WITH SIR R. EVANS PRESENT. MEMBERS HAD SEEN THE ACCOUNT #N
FÖRST TUR AS WELL AS THAT MIN YOUR TELNO 548.
ON THE SUBSTANCE OF THE ISSUE,
RECENT COMMENTS MADE BY LN HOU AND LU PING (OUR TELNO 1764) SUGGEST
THAT THE CHINESE ARE ALREADY RECONCILED TO SOME DIRECT ELECTIONS
AND THAT THEIR CONCERN NOW HIS AS MUCH TO PRESERVE THE SUPREMACY
OF THE EXECUTIVE AND TO CIRCUMSCRIBE THE POWER OF THE LEGISLATURE',
THUS REDUCING THE POWER OF ANY ELECTED ELEMENT IN THE LATTER.
OUTRIGHT RESISTANCE TO THE PRINCIPLE OF DIRECT ELECTRONS SEEMS (WE HOPE) TO BE OVER.
4. HAVING MADE A MAJOR STEP TOWARDS CONVERGENCE BY OUTLINING
OUR THOUGHTS IN THE THREE PAPERS HANDED TO WU XUEQIAN, OUR BEST
TACTICS FOR THE TIMME BEING APPEAR TO LIE IN DRAWING THE CHINESE
INTO A SUBTANTIVE DISCUSSION OF THESE PAPERS. THE OBJECTIVES
OUTLINED IN OUR TELNO 1969 REMAHA VALID. TO AGREE TO DEFER A
DECISION ON DIRECT ELECTIONS, AS ZHOU ASKED, WOULD BE A DISASTROUS TACTICAL MOVE. APART FROM THE SERIOUS POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES THAT
THIS WOULD HAVE IN HONG KONG, #T WOULD ACT AS A POWERFUL DISINCENTIVE FOR THE CHINESE TO TALK ABOUT CONVERGENCE SERMOUSLY, MUCH LESS TO REVEAL THEIR POSITION TO US. (THEY CLEARLY HAVE A
POSITION OF SOME SORT WHICH IS BEING FED PIECEMEAL TO THE BLDC MEMBERS (CF. MY TELNO 1764)).
CONFIDENTIAL
IS EXCO
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