Redacted under FOI Exemption S 27(1):
GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK OFF
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
31 OCT 1986
(19)
402
TOP COPY @ DIST 7
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USE TAY
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TO DESKBY 2010002 FCO
TELNO 2025.
OF 200915Z OCTOBER 86
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, JAKAPTA
REPEATED TO JAKARTA FOR WILSON, AUSS.
उष्
315
YOUR TELEGRAMS NO'S 2298-2300 TO HONG KONG: DRAFT PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.
MEETING OF OD(K):
1. I HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO ABSORB EVERYTHING IN THE RECENT TELEGRAMS ABOUT HONG KONG SINCE I RETURNED TO PEKING FROM CANTON.
BUT, GIVEN
THE VERY TIGHT TIMETABLE FOR THE SUBMISSION OF THE DRAFT PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, I THINK IT BETTER TO SEND YOU THE COMMENTS WHICH FOLLOW TODAY RATHER THAN WAIT UNTIL I HAVE HAD TIME TO REREAD ALL THE TELEGRAMS.
2. I DO NOT THINK THAT PARAGRAPH 23 IS QUITE ACCURATE. I SUGGEST THAT IT SHOULD BE AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS :-
IN ADDITION TO QUESTIONING WHETHER IT IS RIGHT FOR US TO GO AHEAD WITH SUCH CHANGE IN ADVANCE OF PROMULGATION, THEY WANT TO AVOID THE CHOICE BETWEEN MAKING STIPULATIONS IN THE BASIC LAW WHICH ARE IN ACTUAL OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH THE PREVAILING CONSITUTIONAL STRUCTURE IN HONG KONG AND INCORPORATING STIPULATIONS WHICH THEY DO EOT DESIRE. ON AT LEAST E OCCASION THEY HAVE SAID EXPLICITY THAT, IF FACED WITH SUCH A CHOICE, THEY WOULD GO FOR THE FORMER OPTION. ON THE SUBSTANCE, THEY FEAR (AS DO MANY IN HONG KONG ITSELF) THAT TOO RAPID AN EVOLUTION OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT COULD LEAD TO INSTABILITY AND THE DIVISIVE EFFECTS OF PARTY POLITICS.''
CONFIDENTIAL
3
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