COZAAF
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN
CLOSED UNDER
FOI EXEMPTION NO. 27(1)
G-EZNI.
HAUB 011/1
SECRET
FROM:
CO Hum
Hong Kong Department
Mr McLaren
DATE:
5 February 1988
SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH MR EDWARD HEATH: 4 FEBRUARY
ale
joi
1.
Mr Galsworthy has given me an account of the Secretary of
It covered State's conversation with Mr Heath yesterday evening. two issues: representative government and Vietnamese refugees.
Representative Government
2.
The Secretary of State decided that he would brief Mr Heath on Privy Councillor terms and told him precisely what would be in the White Paper. He took him through our exchanges with the Chinese on the question of direct elections
The Secretary of State made the point that while we could impose whatever arrangements we wished in Hong Kong in advance of 1997 it would serve no purpose if they were simply dismantled by the Chinese when the Basic Law came into effect
in 1997.
3.
According to Mr Galsworthy, Mr Heath listened carefully to the But he gave no indication of the explanation and looked thoughtful.
He asked only
line that he would take when he was in Hong Kong.
about the number of directly elected seats to be introduced: Mr Galsworthy told him 10 out of 66 (in fact the correct figure
is
10 out of 56). Mr Heath expressed some concern that this proportion
was rather low.
Vietnamese Refugees
4.
The Secretary of State spoke equally frankly about the problem
Resettlement places were of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong.
SECRET
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.