TNAG-1597-FCO40-2182-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 205

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CONSULTATION PROCESS WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT. IT COULD BE

SUFFICIENTLY CONSISTENT WITH OUR DECLARED INTENTIONS IF THE WHITE

PAPER WAS PUBLISHED AS LATE AS JANUARY OR EVEN FEBRUARY 1988.

THIS WOULD ENABLE DISCUSSION AT THE DECEMBER 1987 BLDC PLENARY TO

BE TAKEN FULLY INTO ACCOUNT (EVEN THOUGH IT SHOULD BE RECALLED

THAT THIS WILL NOT NECESSARILY GIVE US ALL THE POINTERS WE REALLY

WANT). MOREOVER THE LEGCO DEBATE ON THE SURVEY OFFICE REPORT

COULD BE TIMED SO AS TO ACHIEVE THE BEST INTERACTION WITH THE

BLDC PLENARY: WE COULD ARRANGE FOR IT TO BE HELD EITHER FIRST, SO THAT HONG KONG VIEWS HAD BEEN MADE CLEAR TO THE BLDC, OR AFTERWARDS SO THAT THE BLDC DISCUSSIONS WERE FULLY REFLECTED IN

LEGCO DEBATE.

(D) WHICH OPTION?

14.

IT DOES NOT SEEM REALISTIC TO DELAY THE REVIEW BY A YEAR.

THE POLITICAL PENALTIES WOULD BE TOO GREAT. IT DOES NOT

NECESSARILY FOLLOW THAT A POLITICAL ROW IN HONG KONG WOULD LEAD

TO LOSS OF CONFIDENCE, AND OF COURSE THERE ARE ALSO POTENTIAL RISKS TO CONFIDENCE IN THE ALTERNATIVE COURSES WHICH ARE MORE

LIKELY TO LEAD TO DISAGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE. BUT WE MUST

CONCLUDE THAT TO SEEK A YEAR'S DELAY WOULD CAST SUCH WIDESPREAD

DOUBT ON OUR AUTHORITY IN HONG KONG AS TO RISK SERIOUS AND

LASTING DAMAGE TO CONFIDENCE THERE.

15.

LIMITED DELAY, AS DESCRIBED IN PARAS 12-13 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 OF US WOULD NOT BE GREATLY

ALLAYED, BUT WE WOULD HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME TO EXPLAIN OUR

INTENTIONS TO THE CHINESE AND A SLIGHTLY GREATER MARGIN OF

MANOEUVRE. AT THE SAME TIME OUR TIMING WOULD BE POLITICALLY

DEFENSIBLE, PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF THE NEW CIRCUMSTANCES BROUGHT

ABOUT BY SIR E YOUDE'S DEATH.

REMAINDER OF TEXT TO FOLLOW IN MIFT.

HOWE

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HKD

HR WILSON

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PSI MR RENTON

PSI PUS

MR GILLMORE