TNAG-1597-FCO40-2182-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 142

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TABLED, IT IS UP TO THE UNOFFICIALS AS TO HOW SOON AFTERWARDS THEY WISH TO HOLD THE DEBATE ON IT. THEY SHOULD BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO REASONED ARGUMENT.

(G) PARA 15: FOR CLARITY I SUGGEST ADDING ''(I.E. GREEN PAPER IN MAY

IN 1987 AND WHITE PAPER IN FEBRUARY 1988)'' AFTER 'PARA 13 ABOVE ''

LINE 1.

(H) PARA 18: JLG VI IS TO BE HELD IN HONG KONG FROM 17 20 MARCH 1987 (REFERENCE A POSSIBLE VISIT BY MR RENTON). JLG VIII WILL BE HELD IN NOVEMBER 1987 IN PEKING. BOTH DATES MAY BE SIGNIFICANT AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE TIMETABLE.

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(1) PARA 12: PENULTIMATE SENTENCE TO START THE CHINESE, FOR THE IR PART, ARE CONTINUING

(J) PARA 23: I CONSIDER THAT TOO MUCH SHOULD NOT BE MADE OF ZHOU NAN'S COMMENT ON CONSENSUS, WHICH WE BELIEVE MAY HAVE BEEN MORE OF A PERSONAL COMMENT (FOR WHICH ZHOU HAS A LIKING). IF TAKEN LITERALLY THE NOTION DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. WE SUGGEST DELETING THE

PARAGRAPH.

(K) ANNEX: ADD TO THE TIMETABLE JLG VI IN HONG KONG FROM 17 TO 20 MARCH 1987 AND JLG VIII IN PEKING IN NOVEMBER 1987, NOT AS PLANNED STEPS IN THE PROCESS BUT AT LEAST AS OCCASIONS ON WHICH THE REVIEW MAY BE RAISED BY THE CHINESE.

2. WITH REGARD TO A POSSIBLE VISIT BY MR RENTON IF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH WU IN MARCH DOES NOT EVENTUATE, THE DISADVANTAGES ARE NOT, AS WE ARE SURE YOU ARE AWARE, LIMITED TO DEALING WITH ZHOU NAN. EXTREMELY CAREFUL HANDLING WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR A MINISTERIAL VISIT TO PEKING AT THAT TIME, AND THE MINISTER COULD HARDLY AVOID VISITING HONG KONG IN ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER. IT WOULD BE ASSUMED IN HONG KONG THAT HE HAD SHOWN THE DRAFT GREEN PAPER TO THE CHINESE, OR EVEN HANDED THEM A COPY. THERE WOULD BE INTENSE SPECULATION, AND IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO HANDLE THE MEDIA. ATTEMPTS TO DISSEMBLE IN THE FACE OF DIFFICULT QUESTIONS WOULD BE MET WITH SUSPICION AND INTENSIFIED SPECULATION.

3. WITH REFERENCE TO PARA 2(D) OF YOUR TELEGRAM 117, DELAYING THE WHITE PAPER TO FEBRUARY 1988 WILL INVOLVE DEFERMENT OF THE DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS, NOW SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 1988. THIS IS BECAUSE NOMINATIONS WILL HAVE TO OPEN IN EARLY JANUARY. CANDIDATURES WILL TO SOME EXTENT DEPEND ON THE CONTENTS OF THE WHITE PAPER: FOR EXAMPLE IF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE IS PROPOSED FOR ABOLITION OR SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE, OR IF DIRECT ELECTIONS ARE TO BE INTRODUCED.

Sotret

/IT