TNAG-1596-FCO40-2181-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 218

GRS 2000

Redacted under FOI Exemption S(40)

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

7

TO DESKBY 13110OZ FCO

TELNO 2728

OF 1308452 JULY 87

INFO «MMEDIATE PEKING

SECRET

TOP COPY

DIST, ?

ный

PART ONE OF TWO

YOUR TELNOS 1787-1791, PEKING TELNOS 1212 AND 1257 AND MY TELNOS

2686 AND 2716 : STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT ✰ LONGER TERM ISSUES

MIFTS CONTAIN REVISED DRAFTS OF THE COVERING PAPER AND

NOTES 1, 2 AND 3. AS YOU WILL SEE CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE PAPERS

HAVE BEEN SUBSTANT HALLY AMENDED IN THE LIGHT OF THE COMMENTS

CONTAINED IN TURS AND EXCO ADVICE. THE MAIN POINTS TO WHICH WE

WISH TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION ARE SUMMARIZED BELOW :

2.

TUR)

(A)

GENERAL COMMENTS (REFERENCES ARE TO PARAGRAPH 2 OF FIRST

WE HAVE, AS SUGGESTED, INCORPORATED MORE CROSS-REFERENCES TO TRILOGNES IN AND IN, BUT HAVE FOUND LESS SCOPE FOR LINKAGE BETWEEN THESE PAPERS AND THE PAPER ON THE GOVERNOR AND THE CHIEF EXECUTIE, HANDED OVER LAST DECEMBER.

(B)

WE ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT WITH YOUR COMMENTS AND HAVE

AND

(C)

AMENDED THE PAPERS ACCORDINGLY,

(D) WE NOTE YOUR CONCERN THAT THE PAPERS SHOULD NOT THE OUR HANDS BY GOING INTO MORE DETAIL THAN RS NECESSARY. ÞN SOME CASES, HOWEVER, WE CONSIDER THAT ELIMINATION OF THE POINTS OF DETAIL IN QUESTION WOULD WEAKEN THE 'PACAKAGE'' CONSIDERABLY, AND MIGHT UNDERMINE OUR EFFORTS TO PROPOSE ADEQUATE CHECKS AND BALANCES, A FURTHER POINT IS THAT THE DRAFTING OF THIS SECTION OF THE BASIC LAW IS NOW REACHING A CRUCIAL STAGE. IF WE ARE TO SUCCEED IN

•UNFLUENCING THE DRAFTING PROCESS AT WILL PROBABLY BE NECESSARY TO GIVE A CLEARER HINT THAN HITHERTO AS TO THE SPECHENG FEATURES WHICH WE THINK WORTH INCORPORATING.

G)

WE HAVE INCORPORATED YOUR SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS. WE HAVE ALSO ADDED A NEW TEM (A) WHICH INCORPORATES THE PREVIOUS #TEM (D) AND EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING A STRONG EXECUTIVE LED GOVERNMENT.

SECRET

/WE

33

3.