TNAG-1441-FCO40-1925-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 176

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5. EXCO SAW NO MERIPT IN THE PROPOSAL IN PARA 4 OF YOUR THIRD TUR

THAT THE PRESENT TIMETABLE FOR THE 1987 REWHEW MIGHT BE ALLOWED TO

SLIP. FOR PURELY PRACTICAL REASONS THE GREEN PAPER MUST BE ISSUED EARLY PN 1987, SO THAT THE WHITE PAPER CAN BE PUBLISHED NO LATER

THAN DECEMBER 1987 TO ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE NECESSARY

LEGISLATION TO BE IN PLACE BEFORE THE 1988 ELECTIONS. TO RETASIN

THIS TIMETABLE IS NOT BEING INFLEXIBLE: IT IS NECESSARY IN ORDER

TO MAINTAIN CONFIDENCE AND TO ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE

VARIOUS PROCESSES INVOLVED.

6. NOR DID EXCO SEE ANY ADVANTAGE IN ASKΜNG THE CHINESE TO

ACCELERATE THEIR OWN BASIC LAW DRAFTING PROGRAMME. ON THE CONTRARY,' THEY BELIEVED THAT THIS COULD ONLY LEAD TO PRESSURE IN HONG KONG

ON US TO ADVANCE OUR GREEN PAPER TO KEEP AHEAD OF THE CHINESE. IN

ANY CASE, ASSUMING THE BLDC ADHERE TO THEIR CURRENT TARGET DATES,'

ITS SPECIAL GROUP ON THE POLITICAL SYSTEM WILL MAKE HTS

RECOMMENDATIONS ON SAR GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE IN SUMMER 1987. PUBLIC

DISCUSSION ON THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND ON THE GREEN PAPER WILL

THUS TAKE PLACE CONCURRENTLY. MOREOVER, THE BLDC MTSELF IS LIKELY

TO CONSIDER THESE RECOMMENDATIONS IN AUTUMN 1987. THERE IS

THEREFORE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT CONVERGENCE AND COMPATIBL:NTY

BETWEEN THE WHITE PAPER TO BE PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER 1987, AND THE

RELEVANT PROWISHONS OF THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW, CAN BE

ACHIEVED IN THE PROCESS. THE POINT OF DECISION FOR US ON THESE

MATTERS HIS THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER.

7. IN ANY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE IN THE MEANTIME, # SUGGEST THAT WE SHOULD REPEAT VERY CLEARLY AND FIRMLY WHAT MR RENTON HAS

SAID TO ZHOU NAN (AND WHAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAD TO WU XUEQFAN ON 23 MAY), '*.E. THAT HMG ¡IS COMMITTED TO THE 1987 REVIEW, LEADING TO A WHITE PAPER IN DECEMBER 1987 WHICH MUST TAKE CAREFUL

ACCOUNT OF LOCAL ASPIRATIONS AND CONSENSUS. MOREOVER, AS 4 SUGGESTED IN PARA. 2 OF MY TELNO 1812, WE SHOULD MAKE THE POINT THAT, GIVEN THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TO PARLIAMENT FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UP TO 1997, HMG WILL HAVE TO COME TO

THEIR OWN DECISIONS ON THE BASIS OF THEIR OWN REVIEW. {THUS

PNDICATING EXPLICITLY OR MMPLICITLY THAT WE DO NOT INTEND TO ALLOW

THE BLDC ALONE TO DETERMINE THESE MATTERS OR TO SIMPLY FALL MEN

WITH WHAT THEY DECHDE). WE WILL KEEP AN OPEN MIND ON THE FINAL

OUTCOME OF OUR REVIEW AND NATURALLY HOPE THAT THE RESULTS OF T

WILL ACCORD WITH THE RESULTS OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING EXERCISE.

THAT IS THE OBJECT OF THE PAPERS THAT WE HAVE PUT TO THE CHINESE

AND THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED. ATTEMPTS TO SUPPRESS OR

DELAY A DECISION ON A CRUCIAL PART OF THE REWEW WILL HAVE THE

MOST SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR HMG AND HKG. PUBLIC CONFIDENCE UN

AND WITHIN HONG KONG WILL BE SHAKEN AND THIS WILL NOT BE IN THE

INTERESTS OF CHINA.

8.

WITH REGARD TO JLG IV, # DOUBT HE IT WOULD BE WISE TO RAISE THIS SUBJECT IN THE WAY SUGGESTED IN PARA 6 OF THIRD TUR. THIS WOULD

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IRON