TNAG-1596-FCO40-2181-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 27

Redacted under FOI Exemption S 27(1)

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CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 3278

OF 03073OZ SEPTEMBER 87

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

нив

“。

CASEP M

78

027620

MDHIAN 1280

01/1

OUR TELNOS 3246-7, YOUR TELNOS 2311 AND PEKING'S TELNO 1505 : BASIC LAW: CONVERGENCE OF GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE : TRILOGY IV

I

FURTHER TO TURS, ANOTHER ARTICLE BY ''AH CHI' APPEARED IN WEN WEI PO ON 3 SEPTEMBER. TRANSLATION OF FULL TEXT IS IN MIFT. AGAIN QUOTING A HKG OFFICIAL SOURCE, THE ARTICLE SAID THAT THE BRITISH SIDE'S PROPOSAL PLACED IMPORTANCE ON HOW GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS MIGHT CONTINUE TO TAKE PART IN THE WORK OF THE LEGISLATURE, AND SUGGESTED TWO METHODS OF PROVIDING FOR THIS, VIZ. BY " 'ELECTION'' BY THE GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE OR BY OFFICIAL ATTENDANCE AT LEGCO. THE ARTICLE APPEARS TO BE AN ACCURATE SUMMARY OF PARAGRAPHS 9-11 OF NOTE 3 OF TRILOGY IV.

COMMENT

2. THERE APPEARS LITTLE DOUBT THAT THIS AND THE PREVIOUS 'AH CHI** ARTICLE ARE BOTH DELIBERATE LEAKS FROM THE CHINESE OF THE CONTENT OF TRILOGY IV. THERE MAY INDEED BE MORE TO COME, POSSIBLY AS PART OF THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE DISCUSSION OF THE SELECTION OF THE SAR CHIEF EXECUTIVE, COMPOSITION OF SAR LEGISLATURE AND FORMATION OF THE FIRST SAR GOVERNMENT AT THE COMING BLDC EXPERT GROUP MEETINGS. THOSE PROPOSALS WHICH THE CHINESE FAVOUR ARE LIKELY TO ATTRACT CRITICAL COMMENTS BY SOME HONG KONG MEMBERS. IT MAY WELL BE THAT BY ATTRIBUTING THESE PROPOSALS TO BRITISH SIDE SUGGESTIONS, THEY COULD DEFLECT SOME OF THE CRITICISMS TO THE BRITISH SIDE.

3. WE HAVE JUST SEEN PEKING TELNO 1505. SQUARE BRACKETS BEGIN

SQUARE BRACKETS ENDS WE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT

(A) THE CONTENT OF THE TWO ARTICLES IS AN ACCURATE REFLECTION OF THE CONTENTS OF TRILOGY IV AND COULD NOT HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY ANYONE WITHOUT EITHER SEEING THOSE PAPERS OR AT LEAST BEING GIVEN A VERY THOROUGH BRIEFING AS TO THEIR CONTENT:

(B) OUR EXPERIENCE WITH ''AH CHI'S

ARTICLES IN THE PAST HAVE LED

US TO CONCLUDE THAT HE WAS USED AS A CHINESE MOUTHPIECE OR

1

PAGE CONFIDENTIAL