TNAG-1470-FCO40-1999-Visits-by-Chinese-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 78

GRS 900

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 459

OF 131045Z FEBRUARY 85

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

CONFIDENTIAL

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HKR027/4

VLD IN REGISTRY

1 4FEB 1986

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vauon Tekéni

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HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED : BASIC LAW: LU PING'S VISIT.

THE 10 FEBRUARY ISSUE OF THE OUTLOOK WEEKLY (OVERSEAS EDITION) CARRHED A REPORT ON LU PING'S DISCUSSIONS WITH PEOPLE HE MET WIN HONG KONG DURING HIS RECENT VISIT. GIVEN OUTLOOK'S STATUS, THIS ACCOUNT MAY BE TREATED AS THE AUTHORITATIVE (BUT NOT NECESSARILY AUTHENTIC) ACCOUNT OF WHAT LU PING SAID DURING THE VISIT.

2. ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, LU PING HAD MADE THE FOLLOWING MAIN

POINTS:

(A) THE PURPOSE OF THE EXPERT GROUP VISIT WAS TO LISTEN TO HONG KONG PEOPLE'S VIEWS IN PREPARATION FOR THE SECOND MEETING OF THE BLDC IN APRIL IN PEKING. THERE WOULD BE SIMILAR EXPERT GROUP VISITS IN THE FUTURE. THE BLDC SECRETARIAT HAD ALREADY EMPLOYED OP INVITED SOME MAINLAND LAWYERS TO ASSIST IN THE DRAFTING WORK.

(B) THEY DID NOT YET HAVE ANY FIXED IDEAS ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE BASIC LAW. THE APRIL MEETING OF THE BLDC WOULD DECIDE ON THE STRUCTURE, AFTER WHICH A NUMBER OF SPECIALIST PANELS (WHICH WOULD

INCLUDE BOTH HONG KONG AND MAINLAND BLDC MEMBERS) WOULD BE APPOINTED TO CARRY OUT #N-DEPTH SUDIES ON EACH SECTION. THE MAIN TASK WAS TO PUT INTO THE BASIC LAW (AND IN LEGAL LANGUAGE) THE POLICIES STATED IN THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION, INCLUDING THE PRINCIPLES OF FIFTY-YEARS NO-CHANGE AND HONG KONG PEOPLE RULING HONG KONG. THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE DPAFTING OF THE GOVERNMENT-STRUCTURE PART OF THE BASIC LAW SHOULD BE ADVANCED TO 1987 WOULD HAVE TO BE STUDIED BY THE BLDC.

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(C) HONG KONG PEOPLE RULING HONG KONG WAS AN ESTABLISHED POLICY OF CHINA. ALTHOUGH THESE EXACT WORDS WERE NOT USED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION, NEVERTHELESS ANNEX OF THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS WRITTEN IN THIS SPIRIT. INDEED, IT STATED THAT HONG KONG WOULD BE ADMINISTERED BY LOCAL INHABITANTS. MAINLAND CADRES COMING TO HONG KONG ALL HELD CHINESE PASSPORTS AND WERE NOT HONG KONG PEOPLE. ONLY THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAD LIVED IN HONG KONG FOR SEVEN YEARS,

IN HONG KONG COULD A PERMANENT IDENTITY CARD AND HAD BUGH

BE CONSIDERED HONG KONG PEOPLE. CONFIDENTIAL

HELD

1(0).