TNAG-1441-FCO40-1925-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 192

GRS 500

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1911

OF 19105OZ JUNE 86

CONTIDENTIAL

INFO HIMMEDIATE PEKMING

Redacted under FOI Exemption S 27(1)

267

HKK O!!!!

RLEBY

2 4 JUN 1986

38246

(8)

PA Paw ра

сс обу

YOUR TELNO 1137 STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT~~~r~WEWS OF SIR Y.K. PAO

1. ALTHOUGH THE IDEA OF A CHINESE ''DEPUTY GOVERNOR'' HAS NOT

BEEN HIN CIRCULATION IN HONG KONG RECENTLY HIT DID HAVE SOME CURRENCY

TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO.

2.4T HAS ECHOES OF

(277)

AND OF

SIR Y.K'S OWN IDEA THAT ALL THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE DONE H'S FOR THE CHINESE AND BRITISH TO GET TOGETHER AND CHOOSE SOMEONE ACCEPTABLE

TO BOTH TO RUN HONG KONG THROUGH AND BEYOND THE TRANSFER OF

SOVEREIGNTY,

3. THE CHIEF SECRETARY IS IN EFFECT ALREADY DEPUTY GOVERNOR #N AS

FAR AS HE HIS NEXT IN SEMIORITY TO THE GOVERNOR AND ACTS AS HIS

DEPUTY UNDER ARTICLE XVIA OF THE LETTERS PATENT DURNING SHORT

ABSENCES OR WHENEVER THE PUBLIC INTEREST SO REQUIRES. TO TRY TO

INSERT ANOTHER TIER 4NTO THE SYSTEM WOULD RAMSE ALL SORTS OF

COMPLICATED ISSUES ABOUT POWERS AND THE RELALIONSHIPS WITH THE

FINANCIAL SECRETARY AND ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO HAVE THE RIGHT OF

DIRECT ACCESS TO THE GOVERNOR. SIR Y.K.S. DEA ALSO TAKES NO

ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT WE SHALL NEED TO PLAN FOR A TRANSITION

TO A CHIEF EXECUTANE, UNLESS HIS THOUGHT IS THAT ONE OF THE DEPUTY GOVERNORS SHOULD BE TRANSORMED INTO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE.

4. HF THE DEA AS SET OUT IN PARA 2 OF YOUR TEL IS THAT BRITAIN AND

CHINA SHOULD JOINTLY CHOOSE ONE DEPUTY GOVERNOR AS EARLY AS NEXT

YEAR AND TWO DEPUTY GOVERNORS AFTER 1990, THEN THE IDEA HIS

FAR-FETCHED, DIRECT CHINESE PARTICIPATION IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF

HONG KONG WOULD BE ADVANCED BY ABOUT 7 YEARS.

5.

HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER SIR Y.K. HAD HIMSELF IN HIND: BUT AS YOU KNOW HE HAS FAIRLY RECENTLY SUGGESTED INDIRECTLY THAT HE WOULD

BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT AN APPOINTMENT HIMSELF TO A SENIOR POST

ALTHOUGH HE SEEMED THEN TO BE THINKING OF EXCO.

6. ON THE OTHER HAND I AM NOT CLEAR WHY YOU THINK THAT THE NOTION

OF A BRITISH DEPUTY GOVERNOR

S

IF BY THIS IS MEANT EXPATRIATE

DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTAVE AFTER 1997 IS OUT OF THE QUESTION.

CONFIDENTIAL

17.