TNAG-1471-FCO40-2001-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 81

GRS 500 CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

TO DESKBY 10093OZ FCO

TELNO 106

OF 10072OZ JANUARY 86

18

TOP COPY

MAK 02715

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

10 JAN 1986

DESK OFFICER INDEX

REGISTR

PA

Action Taken

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

MY TELNO 21 : MR RENTON'S VISIT : PRESS CONFERENCE

1. THE MAIN THRUST OF QUESTIONS AT MR RENTON'S PRESS CONFERENCE

ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WILL BE AS FOLLOWS. THE DIFFICULT

QUESTIONS ARE LIKELY TO BE:

(A) HAVE THE CHINESE DEMANDED EITHER IN THE JLG OR DURING MR

RENTON'S VISIT TO PEKING, THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO FURTHER CHANGE

WITHOUT THE IR CONSENT?

(B) (F) WILL THE CHINESE BE GIVEN AN ADVANCE COPY OF PROPOSALS

FOR THE 1987 REVIEW?

(MM) IF THEY OBJECT TO ANY PARTS OF HT, WILL THESE BE CHANGED?

(C) NOW THAT REFORMS IN HONG KONG ARE ON THE AGENDA FOR THE JLG, DOES THIS NOT MEAN THAT BRITAIN HAS SURRENDERED ITS AUTHORITY AND

GIVEN CHINA THE RIGHT OF VETO?

ין

(D) THERE IS WIDESPREAD CONCERN IN HONG KONG THAT THE CHINESE SIDE

INTERPRETS SUCH EXPRESSIONS AS ''LEGISLATURE CONSTITUTED BY

ELECTIONS'' IN A VERY RESTRICTIVE MANNER. WHAT IS THE BRITISH

GOVERNMENT'S INTERPRETATION AND WHAT IS IT DOING TO BRING THE

CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S POINT OF VIEW INTO LINE WITH IT?

(E) DOES MR RENTON AGREE WITH MR PADDY ASHDOWN MP THAT THERE IS

A MOOD IN BRITAIN TO SWEEP HONG KONG UNDER THE CARPET?

2. RECOMMEND THAT MR RENTON SHOULD SEEK TO GET ACROSS THE

FOLLOWING POINTS:

(A) WHAT WE HAVE AGREED WITH THE CHINESE IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE

AN EXCHANGE OF VIEWS AND (B) IT IS PRUDENT TO KEEP CHINESE INFORMED

OF OUR THINKING.

CONFIDENTIAL

(C)