TNAG-1474-FCO40-2005-Visits-by-MPs-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 35

GINAH

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

1 ONO 1986

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DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

Pa

VISIT OF HOUSE OF COMMONS DEFENCE COMMITTEE TO HONG KONG:

3-7 DECEMBER 1986

GENERAL AND POLITICAL BRIEF ON HONG KONG

138

1.

A background brief on Hong Kong is attached.

Representative Government

2.

A White Paper on the further development of representative

government in Hong Kong was published in November 1984 and its proposals endorsed by Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo) in January 1985. The main proposal was that some members of LegCo should be elected by specified functional constituencies, and others

by an electoral college of members of local government councils and

District Boards: and the number of official (ie civil servant) and

appointed members would be reduced. The first elections to LegCo were held in September 1985, when 24 members, all well known figures experienced in community service, were elected.

3.

Α public review of progress towards representative

will be government

carried out in 1987. The main issues to be

considered will probably be the composition of LegCo and the method of selecting its members in 1988 and beyond (including the question of direct elections) and the position of the Governor in relation to

the Executive and Legislative Councils.

Joint Liaison Group

4.

!

In accordance with Annex II to the Joint Declaration on the

future of Hong Kong, a Sino-British Joint Liaison Group (JLG) has

been established to act as a forum for liaison and consultation

between Britain and China until the year 2000. It meets at least once a year in Peking, London and Hong Kong, and from 1988 will have its principal base in Hong Kong.

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