TNAG-1470-FCO40-1999-Visits-by-Chinese-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 74

GRS 1300

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESK BY 14103OZ FCO

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 027/4

REGISTRY

1 4 FEB 1986

WETHY

TELNO 475

OF 14085OZ FEBRUARY 86

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

AGB 14

HONG KONG AGREEMENT : RESTRICTED : LU PING'S VISIT

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YOU MAY FIND IT HELPFUL TO HAVE A SUMMARY OF WHAT LU SAID DURING HIS VISIT TO HONG KONG. DESPITE LU'S REMARKS ON ARRIVAL THAT HE CAME HERE TO LISTEN RATHER THAN TO TALK, HE DID COMMENT, BOTH UN PUBLIC AND IN PRIVATE DISCUSSIONS, ON A WIDE RANGE OF FUTURE- RELATED #SSUES. MY TELNO 459 REPORTED IN SUMMARY THE OUTLOOK WEEKLY'S VERSION OF WHAT LU SAND IN PUBLIC, BUT THAT VERSION GLOSSED OVER SOME OF THE MORE IMPORTANT OR CONTROVERSIAL REMARKS HE MADE. THE ACCOUNT IN THIS TELEGRAM IS BASED ON RECORDS OF LU'S PRIVATE MEETHINGS WITH HONG KONG OFFICIALS, THIRD PARTY REPORTS OF HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH NON-OFFICIAL GROUPS AND CONTEMPORANEOUS REPORTS 4N THE HONG KONG PRESS.

(A) FORM AND CONTENT OF THE BASIC LAW

2. LU WAS WIDELY REPORTED IN THE PRESS TO HAVE SAID THAT THEY (E. THE CHINESE) DID NOT HAVE ANY FIRM VIEWS ON HOW THE BASIC LAW SHOULD BE DRAFTED. ONE OF THE MAIN PURPOSE OF HIS VISIT WAS TO LISTEN TO HONG KONG VIEWS ON THIS ASPECT, BUT HE TOOK CARE TO SAY THAT CHINESE OPINION WOULD ALSO NEED TO BE LISTENED TO. THE FIRST TASK (FOR THE BLDC) WAS TO DECIDE ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE BASIC LAW, . E. HOW HIT SHOULD BE DIVIDED INTO CHAPTERS, SECTIONS AND PARAGRAPHS, AND WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN NT. HE WAS ALSO REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT THE PRINCIPLES LAID DOWN IN THE JOINT DECLARATION, SUCH AS FIFTY-YEARS NO CHANGE' AND ''HONG KONG PEOPLE RULING HONG KONG'' WOULD BE SET OUT IN THE BASIC LAW IN LEGAL LANGUAGE. LU ALSO SAID TO VARIOUS AUDIENCES, THAT THE BASIC LAW WOULD SET OUT THE SAR'S GOVERNMENTAL SYSTEM, THE METHOD OF ELECTION OF THE LEGISLATURE AND SELECTION OF THE EXECUTIVE, PROTECTION OF FOREIGN INVESTMENTS, CONTINUATION OF THE STOCKS AND FUTURES MARKETS AND THE GOLD AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE MARKETS. MORE INTERESTINGLY HE SAID IN DISCUSSIONS WITH HKG OFFICIALS :

(A) THAT AN ENGLISH AS WELL AS A CHINESE TEXT OF THE BASIC LAW WOULD BE PUBLISHED: AND

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(B) IN RESPONSE TO A SUGGESTION THAT THE BASIC LAW SHOULD GIVE THE JOINT DECLARATHON AND 4TS ANNEXES THE FORCE OF LAW, THAT HE THOUGHT PEOPLE WOULD WANT SOMETHING MORE DETAILED.

(B) DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW

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