ME3AKR
SECRET
THE INSTALLATION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE DESIGNATE BEFORE 1997
1.
Paragraph 18 of paper
18 of paper II which Sir Geoffrey Howe handed to Foreign Minister Wu in May noted the need to provide for convergence
between the powers nor exercised by the Governor of Hong Kong and those to be entrusted to the Chief Executive of the Special
Administrative Region after 1997, in the interests of ensuring
smooth transfer of government.
2.
a
When the Governor and Mr Li Hou met in Peking on 1 September
1986, Mr Li said that it would be necessary for the
the first Chief
Executive of the SAR to be selected before 1997 to assist a smooth
transition between the office of Governor and that of Chief
Executive.
3.
It is also relevant that Chapter 10 of the draft structure of the Basic Law produced by the Basic Law Drafting Committee in April
1986 provides for a section on the formation of the first government
of the Hong Kong SAR.
4.
The transition of power in 1997 is bound to require the most careful management if the Government of Hong Kong is to continue to operate efficiently throughout
throughout the transition. The transition in 1997 is bound to require the most careful management if convergence
between the administrative arrangements in force before and after that date is to be achieved and if there is to be no interruption in
the efficient administration of Hong Kong.
the Chief Executive
to take on his onerous responsibilities for the first time on 1 July 1997 would be to run a grave risk of disruption and confusion on
several counts:
(a)
The Chief Executive himself would have had no experience of exercising the powers and the responsibilities which would
immediate fall on him.
SECRET
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