TNAG-1444-FCO40-1928-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 36

GRS 600

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 3800

OF 14035OZ NOVEMBER 86

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

CONFIDENTIAL

IA

OUR TELNO 3797 : BLDC SPECIAL GROUP ON POLITICAL SYSTEM :

FOURTH MEETING PRESS REPORTS

F

(497

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See (505

FURTHER TO TUR, YOU WILL BE INTERESTED TO NOTE THAT THE GIST OF

LI HOU AND LU PING'S STATEMENTS WAS ECHOED BY XIAO WEIYUN, MAINLAND CO-CONVENOR OF THE BLDC POLITICAL SYSTEM SPECIAL GROUP. IN A

REPORT OF AN INTERVIEW WITH XIAO IN THE SOON TO BE PUBLISHED 46TH

ISSUE OF THE OUTLOOK WEEKLY, THE GIST OF WHICH WAS SET OUT IN AN

NONA RELEASE AND CARRIED PROMINENTLY IN BOTH WEN WEI PO AND TA KUNG

PAO TODAY, XIAO WAS QUOTED TO HAVE MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS :

(A) THE POLITICAL SYSTEM SPECIAL GROUP MAY, OR MAY NOT (NOT) BE

ABLE TO PRODUCE A FIRST DRAFT OF THE CHAPTER ON THE SAR'S POLITICAL

SYSTEM BY THE 5TH PLENARY OF THE BLDC NEXT YEAR. PROGRESS IS

DIFFICULT TO PREDICT. IF NO CONSENSUS IS REACHED BY SUMMER NEXT

YEAR, IT MAY PUT FORWARD SEVERAL FORMULAE FOR DISCUSSION BY THE BLDC.

(B) THERE CONTINUES TO BE DIFFERING VIEWS AMONGST HONG KONG

MEMBERS ON THE SELECTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, THE ELECTION OF THE LEGISLATURE AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWWEN THE EXECUTIVE AND

THE LEGISLATURE. DISCUSSION ON THESE SENSITIVE ISSUES REQUIRED

A LONGER TIME: IT WOULD BE WRONG TO FORCE THROUGH A CONSESNUS IN

A SHORT TIME. IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE TO ARRIVE AT CONCLUSIVE

VIEWS ON HK'S FUTURE POLITICAL SYSTEM TOO EARLY. DUE TO VARIOUS CONSIDERATIONS, MAINLAND MEMBERS HAVE NOT (NOT) SO FAR EXPRESSED ANY VIEWS ON THESE QUESTIONS, AS WELL AS ON WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE DIRECT ELECTION: THEY STILL NEED TO LISTEN TO MORE **MATURE**

VIEWS ON A WIDER BASIS.

2. THE SAME MESSAGES ARE ALSO REPEATED IN AN EDITORIAL IN TODAY'S

TA KUNG PAO, WHICH IN ADDITION MADE TWO FURTHER POINTS :

(A) THE 1987 REVIEW WAS ANNOUNCED BY THE HKG IN 1984, AT THE TIME,

ALTHOUGH THE JOINT DECLARATION HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S WISH TO RESUME THE EXERCISE OF SOVEREIGNTY IN HK

IN 1997 WAS ALREADY CLEAR. SINCE THE JOINT DECLARATION ENTERED

INTO FORCE IN 1985, HONG KONG HAS ENTERED A TRANSITIONAL PERIOD

WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM BEFORE. THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS

ARE COOPERATING TO IMPLEMENT THE JD: THE QUEEN REAFFIRMED THIS PLEDGE AT THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT TWO DAYS AGO. ACCORDING TO THE JD, THE BRITISH

CONFIDENTIAL