LB1AGE
BACKGROUND
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1.
In November 1984 the Hong Kong Government published a White
Paper entitled "The Further Development of Representative Government
in Hong Kong". The Paper, which was endorsed by the Hong Kong
Legislative Council (LEGCO) in January 1985, proposed:
(a)
(b)
(c)
an increase in the number of Unofficial members of LEGCO and a
decrease in the number of official (ie civil servant) members;
the selection of 24 of these Unofficials by indirect elections
based on geographical and functional constituencies; and
a further review of developments towards more representative
government, including the possibility of direct elections to
LEGCO, in 1987.
2.
informal channels
over
the
While they have not objected to these developments as such, the
Chinese have expressed considerable concern through formal and
the extent and pace of further
"democratisation" in Hong Kong between now and 1997. A particular
point of concern to them is whether developments arising from the
1987 review
review will preempt their plans for Hong Kong's Government structure post-1997, which will be embodied in the Basic Law that
they are now drafting. These concerns were
in fully aired
second meeting of the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group in Peking
between 26
26 and 29 November 1985, when both sides agreed that Hong
Kong's plans for further constitutional develoment up to 1997, and the provisions to be included in the Basic Law, should aim towards a
"convergence" over the next 11 years.
Chinese concerns have also
been reiterated in bilateral contacts between Chinese and British
Ministers, most recently by Vice Foreign Minister Zhou Nan during
the visit here of Hu Yaobang, First Secretary of the Chinese
Communist Party in June.
3. Chinese concerns have been somewhat allayed since last year but on this issue remains a potentially sensitive one..
4.
No final decisons have yet been taken on what further
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No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.