ARPACT
нев onli
Ji
15 JAN 1988
67
SECRET
FROM :
DATE :
сс
09 JAN 1983
9
8
12
CO Hum 7 5
2
3
Hong Kong Department
5 January 1987
PS/Lord Glenarthur
PS/Mr Eggar
PS/PUS
Mr Gillmore
Mr Fifoot
FED
15
Mr McLarén
Private Secretary
soudray a
Aat
HONG KONG: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
1.
A
The Secretary of State approved the draft minute to the Prime Minister attached to Mr Paul's submission of 30 December 1987.
We have however held this up, by agreement with the Private Secretary, to take account of revised drafts of the key chapters of
the White Paper, received on 4 January. These were rewritten to
reflect views expressed by ExCo.
In
2.
There are no changes of substance in the new draft of Chapter
III (on direct elections). The drafting has been generally improved, but the key wording on the Basic Law remains essentially unchanged. Chapter VIII (on the way forward) has been substantially rewritten on more "positive" lines in accordance with ExCo's wishes. It now places more emphasis on the "continuing, steady evolution" of Hong Kong's system of representative government. There are some risks in this. Presumably the Hong Kong Government feel this is necessary to respond to the aspirations of the local population. the course of his visit to Peking in December the Governor spoke in terms of the need for a gradual development of the system, and implied that there should be room for a further increase in directly
elected seats before 1997: the Chinese did not demur. Moreover
other changes will be necessary to ensure a smooth transition in 1997. But we think it important that the Hong Kong Government, in its desire to appear positive about the way forward, should not publicly commit itself to a degree of evolution between now and 1997
SECRET
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