OCMIAN 3283
CONFIDENTIAL
OO HOKON
FM FCOLN TO HOKON
1313202 JUN
GRS 252
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1137
OF 13132OZ JUNE 86
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
43283
2
STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT: VIEWS OF SIR Y K PAO
1.
DURING SIR Y K PAO'S STAY IN LONDON THIS WEEK HE CALLED ON (AMONG OTHERS) THE PRIME MINISTER, THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND
MR RENTON. WITH ALL THREE HE FLOATED THE IDEA THAT A HONG KONG
CHINESE 'DEPUTY GOVERNOR' OUGHT TO BE APPOINTED IN HONG KONG
BEFORE LONG. ON ONE OCCASION THE VIEW WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE
CHINESE: AT OTHER TIMES HE DESCRIBED IT AS A PERSONAL
SUGGESTION.
2.
SIR Y K APPEARED TO HAVE IN MIND THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S
POSITION. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE APPOINTMENT MIGHT BE MADE AS
EARLY AS NEXT YEAR. AFTER 1990 THERE MIGHT BE A CASE FOR HAVING
TWO 'DEPUTY GOVERNORS'. THE APPOINTEE WOULD OF COURSE HAVE TO BE A NEUTRAL PERSON, AND WOULD HAVE TO BE CHOSEN JOINTLY BY BRITAIN AND CHINA. SIR Y K SUGGESTED THAT THIS WOULD PROVIDE A BASIS ON
WHICH WE COULD SEEK TO HAVE A BRITISH DEPUTY GOVERNOR AFTER 1997,
ALTHOUGH HE WOULD HAVE TO BE CALLED AN ADVISOR.
3.
IN EACH CASE MINISTERS RESPONDED NON-COMMITTALLY. IT
WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE YOUR COMMENTS ON WHAT SIR Y K PROPOSED.
HAS A SIMILAR SUGGESTION BEEN MADE BY OTHERS IN HONG KONG? IS
THERE ANY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE CHINESE COULD HAVE BEEN
BEHIND IT? COULD IT BE THAT SIR Y K HAD HIMSELF IN MIND?
нккои REGELEDA
1
CIRY
23 JUN 1986
AB 24/6
1
CONFIDENTIAL
267
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