TNAG-1443-FCO40-1927-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 109

GRS 130

SECRET

FM1 PEKING

TO DESKBY 29090OZ FCO

TELNO 2059

HKK !! Secret

OF 2907417 OCTOBER 86

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONS

(423)

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 31 OCT 1986

HET

1429

DESK OFFICERTORU

INDEX

PA

[Action Taken"

ย

YOUR TELNO'S 2402 AND 2476-9 TO HONG KONG: PAPERS FOR AD (K):

PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.

431

PY

See432

1. WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE REDRAFTED PAPER:-

1

(A) PARAGRAPH 25, LAST SENTENCE (IN BRACKETS). AS DRAFTER, THIS IS

A LITTLE MISLEADING. THE REASON CHINESE MEMBERS HAVE?NOT FORMALLY

EXPRESSED AN OPINION IS THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS STILL UNSUPE

OF THE RIGHT WAY FORWARD. WE SUGGEST THIS BE REDRAFTED AS FOLLOWS:-

**CHINESE MEMBERS HAVE NOT SO FAR EXPRESSED AN OPINION. WHEN THEY DO SO,

IT MAY BE ASSUMED THAT IT WILL REFLECT THE VIEW THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO TAKE.

(B) PARAGRAPH 34. THE THIRD SENTENCE SEEMS OVER-COMPRESSED. WE

SUGGEST A REDRAFT AS FOLLOWS :-

''THE INTRODUCTION OF A DIRECTLY-ELECTED ELEMENT COULD RE SEEN IN

HONG KONG AS A SYMBOL OF OUR DETERMINATION TO WORK FOR HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY FOR THE TERRITORY POST-1997 AND OF THE WILLINGNESS OF THE CHINESE TO ALLOW IT. IN PRACTICE, HOWEVER, SUCH AN ELEMENT IN 1983 WOULD BY NO MEANS GUARANTEE A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY FOR HONG

KONG POST-1997. THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE ACHIEVED BY A MUCH WIDER

VARIETY OF MEANS.'t

2. WE HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED YOUR TELNO 2403-5 ON THE GOVERNOR AND

THE CHIEF EXECTUVE. WE SHALL COMMENT AS SOON AS WE DO.

EVANS

YYYY

PEHPAN 0945

LIMITED

HKD

MR

GILLMORE

MR WILSON

Secret