TNAG-1597-FCO40-2182-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 114

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HONG KONG: 1987 REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

INTRODUCTION

1. This paper considers our strategy in handling this year's review

of representative government in Hong Kong; its timing: contacts

with the Chinese; and possible outcomes.

THE BRITISH AND CHINESE POSITIONS

2. We have made commitments to Parliament and to the Hong Kong

people that a review of representative government will be conducted

in 1987; that there will be a process of public consultation on the

basis of a Green Paper before proposals are put forward in a White

Paper; and that issues left over from the similar 1984 exercise,

including the possible introduction of a directly elected element

into LegCo, will be for consideration.

3. The Chinese have a long-standing aversion to the

introduction of direct elections in Hong Kong and remain profoundly

suspicious of our motives and intentions in this connection. These

suspicions were particularly apparent when Vice-Foreign Minister

Zhou Nan spoke to the late Governor in early December 1986. They

now appear to accept, albeit reluctantly, that the review must take

place and that the Green Paper must refer to direct elections. But

they continue to insist that no decision should be taken to

introduce direct elections before the promulgation of the Basic Law

in 1990. They have asked to see the texts of the Green and White

papers long enough in advance of publication quote to permit study

unquote.

4. A paramount concern of the Chinese is to avoid a position in

which our White Paper proposes the introduction of an element of

direct elections in 1988. They consider that this would pre-empt

decisions by them on the post-1997 arrangements which are enshrined in the Basic Law.

They would then be faced with a choice

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