TNAG-1596-FCO40-2181-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 285

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Secret

Hik B oiili

GRS 450

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO DESK BY 2509007

TELNO 2486

OF 25054OZ JUNE 87

*NFO HIMMEDIATE PEKING

25 JUNDS/TOP COPY

Q DIST ?

MY TELNO 1927 AND YOUR TELNO 1416

LONGER-TERM ISSUES

STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT :

AS FORESHADOWED IN MY TUR WE HAVE NOW COMPLETED PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE VARIOUS THINK-PIECES AND HAVE TURNED THEM INTO DRAFT PAPERS IN A FORM WHICH WE THINK WOULD BE SUNTABLE FOR PASSING TO THE CHINESE. MY FOUR #FT'S CONTAIN THE TEXTS OF THESE DRAFTS, CONSISTING OF A COVERING PAPER EXPLANNING OUR GENERAL APPROACH AND PHILOSOPHY AND THREE NOTES DEALING RESPECTIVELY WITH THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES AND THE LEGISLATURE. WIN DRAFTHING THESE PAPERS, WE HAVE BORN IN MUND WHERE APPROPRIATE THE TENTATIVE CONCLUSIONS WHICH HAVE EMERGED FROM THE MEETING OF THE BLDC POLITICAL SYSTEM SUB-GROUP HELD N GUANGZHOU EARLIER THIS MONTH (SEE MY TELNOS 2317-8 AND 2322-6).

2. IN LONE WITH THE APPROACH PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE DRAFTING OF THE FIRST TWO TRILOGIES AND OF THE 1987 GREEN PAPER SEE ADVANTAGE IN EXCO HAVING AN INFORMAL DISCUSSION ON THESE DRAFT PAPERS BEFORE THEIR ADVINCE HIS SOUGHT MORE FORMALLY. ## AM ACCORDINGLY ISSUING THEM TO EXCO FOR A PRELIMINARY CANTER ON TURESDAY 30 JUNE. HAN DOING SO, I HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT: THE DRAFT PAPERS HAVE YET TO BE CLEARED WITH YOU EVEN AT OFFICĦĦAL LEVEL.

3. NT WOULD BE MOST: HELPFUL MF YOU WERE ABLE TO LET US HAVE YOUR #HTHAL REACTION TO THESE DRAFT PAPERS DESK BY 27010OZ. WE SHALL N ANY CASE TELEGRAPH TO YOU EXCO'S PRELIMINARY VIEWS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER THE MEETHING ON 30 JUNE.

4.

THEREAFTER WE PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING TIMETABLE, WHICH IS AIMED AT GETTING THE PAPERS INTO CHINESE HANDS A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING OF THE BLDC POL:NTICAL SYSTEM SUG-GROUP SCHEDULED

FOR 31 JULY 2 AUGUST:

-

TEXT AGREED WITH FCO AT OFFICIAL LEVEL

BY 3 JULY

7 JULY

FORMAL CLEARANCE WITH EXCO

BY 10 JULY

SUBMISSION TO FCO MINISTERS: TRANSLATION OF DRAFT TEXTS

BY 17 JULY

SUBMISSION TO OD(K)

BY 21 JULY

CLEARANCE WITH OD(K)

Secret

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