TNAG-1597-FCO40-2182-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 183

ALTERNATIVE COURSES WHICH ARE MORE LIKELY TO LEAD TO DISAGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE, WE MUST CONCLUDE THAT A YEAR'S DELAY IN THE REVIEW WOULD CAST SUCH WIDESPREAD DOUBT ON OUR AUTHORITY IN HONG KONG AS TO RESULT IN SERIOUS AND LASTING DAMAGE TO CONFIDENCE THERE.

17.

LIMITED DELAY, AS DESCRIBED IN PARA. 15 ABOVE, WOULD BRING US SOME TACTICAL ADVANTAGE. IT MAY PERMIT A BETTER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE REVIEW PROCESS AND THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW. CHINESE SUSPICIONS WOULD NOT BE GREATLY REDUCED, BUT WE WOULD HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME TO EXPLAIN OUR INTENTIONS TO THE CHINESE AND A SLIGHTLY GREATER MARGIN OF MANOEUVRE.

FINAL PART OF TWO

18

DURING 1987 IT WILL BE VITAL TO MAINTAIN THE CLOSEST POSSIBLE DIALOGUE WITH THE CHINESE OVER THE ISSUES RAISED BY THE

REVIEW. IT WILL BE NECESSARY :

(1)

TO REASSURE THEM OF OUR INTENTIONS IN CONDUCTING THE REVIEW,

(11) TO EXPLAIN TO THEM IN ADVANCE WHAT ISSUES IT WILL HAVE TO COVER, AND HOW HONG KONG OPINION IS LIKELY TO EXPRESS ITSELF ON EACH,

(11) TO DESCRIBE THE SCOPE AND GENERAL CONTENT OF THE GREEN AND WHITE PAPERS,

(IV) TO GIVE THEM ADVANCE NOTICE OF THE TEXTS,

(V) IN PARTICULAR TO EXPLAIN WHAT PROPOSALS WE DECIDE WE HAVE TO MAKE IN THE WHITE PAPER, INCLUDING POSSIBLY PROPOSALS ON DIRECT

ELECTIONS,

(VI)

TO KEEP ABREAST OF, AND WHERE POSSIBLE TO INFLUENCE,

THEIR OWN THINKING ON THESE ISSUES.

19.

A FULL RANGE OF CHANNELS WILL HAVE TO BE USED. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND WU XUEQIAN WILL

CONTINUE TO BE OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE, BUT WILL NEED TO BE SUPPLEMENTED, AS THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES, BY OTHER CONTACTS. THESE MIGHT INCLUDE VISITS TO PEKING BY THE NEW GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG,

VISITS BY CHINESE OFFICIALS TO HONG KONG AND APPROACHES BY SIR R.

EVANS. IN ADDITION THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WILL REACH

THE CHINESE IN A VARIETY OF WAYS BOTH DIRECT AND INDIRECT.

20.

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT WHAT WE KNOW AT THIS STAGE ABOUT MINISTERIAL MOVEMENTS, THE FOLLOWING IS A TENTATIVE CHRONOLOGY

OF MAIN CONTACTS WITH THE CHINESE OVER THE 1987 REVIEW :

JANUARY/FEBRUARY

1987

HANDING OVER OF A PAPER TO THE CHINSE, POSSIBLY

UNDER COVER OF A MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO WU, SHOWING HOW WE PROPOSE TO PRESENT DISCUSSION OF THE OPTIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE

COMPOSITION OF THE LEGISLATURE IN THE GREEN PAPER

(SEE PARA. 22).

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