TNAG-1597-FCO40-2182-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 202

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EXERCISE, NOTABLY THE POSSIBLE INTRODUCTION OF A DIRECTLY ELECTED

ELEMENT INTO LEGCO.

3.

THE CHINESE REMAIN PROFOUNDLY SUSPICIOUS OF OUR MOTIVES.

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 IT SHOULD DO SO IN

STRICTLY NEUTRAL TERMS, AND THAT NO CONCLUSION SHOULD BE REACHED

ON THE ISSUE OF DIRECT ELECTIONS BEFORE THE PROMULGATION OF THE

BASIC LAW IN 1990. THEY HAVE ASKED TO SEE TEXTS OF THE GREEN AND

WHITE PAPERS LONG ENOUGH IN ADVANCE OF PUBLICATION QUOTE TO PERMIT STUDY UNQUOTE.

4.

ABOVE ALL THE CHINESE WISH 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

THE DECISIONS ON POST-1997 ARRANGEMENTS TO BE TAKEN BY THE BASIC

LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE (BLDC) AND ENSHRINED IN THE BASIC LAW.

THEY WOULD BE FACED WITH THE CHOICE BETWEEN MAKING SIMILAR

PROVISION IN THE BASIC LAW, APPARENTLY UNDER PRESSURE FROM

OURSELVES, AND MAKING NO SUCH PROVISION, A CAUSE WHICH WOULD LEAD

TO CONFRONTATION WITH OURSELVES.

THE CHINESE TIMETABLE

5.

THE WORK OF THE BLDC HAS NOW ENTERED ITS MOST INTENSIVE

AND DETAILED PHASE. DRAFTING OF THE SECTIONS OF THE BASIC LAW

DEALING WITH THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF THE HONG KONG SPECIAL

ADMINISTRATIVE REGION (SAR) WILL HOWEVER LAG SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND

THE REST OF THE DRAFTING TIMETABLE. IN PART THIS PROBABLY

REFLECTS GENUINE UNCERTAINTY ON THE CHINESE SIDE, IN THE FACE OF

THE LACK OF CONSENSUS ON THESE ISSUES AMONG HONG KONG OPINION.

BUT THE EFFECT, WHETHER DELIBERATE OR NOT, IS TO MAKE OUR OWN

TASK MORE DIFFICULT: THERE IS NOW LESS PROSPECT OF THE

SIMULTANEOUS EMERGENCE OF PARALLEL VIEWS IN THE BLDC AND THE

REVIEW EXERCISE, PERMITTING COMPATIBLE OUTCOMES IN WHICH NEITHER

SIDE APPEARS TO PRE-EMPT THE OTHER.

6. THE KEY DATES ON THE CHINESE SIDE ARE THE FOLLOWING:

APRIL 1987

FOURTH BLDC PLENARY. NO DISCUSSIONS OF

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