TNAG-1441-FCO40-1925-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 204

CONFIDENTIAL

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SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, AND THOSE OF PEKING, WE PROPOSE TO

RECOMMEND THAT MR RENTON SHOULD MAKE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

(A) THERE MUST BE ELECTIONS TO LEGCO IN 1988 AS PART OF

THE NORMAL PATTERN OF ELECTIONS:

(B)

AS WE HAVE EXPLAINED, WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE 1987

REVIEW. THERE MUST BE A GREEN PAPER IN MAY SETTING OUT THE

ISSUES FOR CONSIDERATION, AND A WHITE PAPER TOWARDS THE END OF

THE YEAR. THE WHITE PAPER CANNOT SIMPLY SUSPEND JUDGEMENT ON THE

VIEWS EXPRESSED BY HONG KONG PEOPLE IN RESPONSE TO THE GREEN

PAPER. IT MUST DRAW CONCLUSIONS AND RECORD THE DECISIONS TAKEN

BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ON THE ISSUES RAISED:

(C)

IN TURN THE 1988 ELECTIONS MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT

THE DECISIONS RECORDED IN THE WHITE PAPER:

(D)

IF WE APPEARED TO BE DUCKING THE ISSUES RAISED IN

THE REVIEW, FAILING TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS OR TO REFLECT THESE IN

ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1988 ELECTIONS THIS WOULD BE VERY DAMAGING

INDEED. HMG AND HKG WOULD BE ACCUSED OF BOWING TO PRESSURE PROM

CHINA. CONFIDENCE WOULD BE BOUND TO SUFFER:

(E) WE ARE ALL AGREED THAT DIALOGUE ON THE ISSUE SHOULD

GO PORWARD THROUGH A VARIETY OF CHANNELS. WE ARE GLAD ZHOU WAS

ATTRACTED BY THE IDEA THAT YOUR VISIT TO PEKING WOULD OFFER A

SUITABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR DISCUSSION. TO US THIS SEEMS THE BEST

WAY OF TAKING MATTERS FORWARD. IT IS COMPLEX ISSUE, BEST

DISCUSSED INFORMALLY AND IN DETAIL BETWEEN THOSE MOST CLOSELY

CONNECTED WITH HONG KONG'S ADMINISTRATION:

(F) WE SUGGEST IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE IF THE SUBJECT WAS

NOT/NOT PUT ON THE AGENDA OF JLGIV. IF IT BECAME KNOWN THAT THE

SUBJECT HAD BEEN DISCUSSED, HONG KONG OPINION WOULD BE WORRIED

THAT THE JLG AND PEKING WERE BECOMING DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE

CONDUCT OF THE 1987 REVIEW. THIS WOULD UNDERMINE THE AUTHORITY OF

HKG WITH A DAMAGING EFFECT ON CONFIDENCE.

(G)

(IF PRESSED) WE HAVE MADE IT CLEAR IN THE PAST THAT

WE ARE NOT/NOT RULING OUT DISCUSSION IN THE JLG AS A MATTER OF

PRINCIPLE. BUT WE FEEL STRONGLY THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE WISE AT

THE PRESENT JUNCTURE GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF HONG KONG

SENSITIVITIES INVOLVED. IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE FOR BOTH

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CONFIDENTIAL