CONFIDENTIAL FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 591
OF 101145Z FEBRUARY 88
ADVANCE COPY
CONFIDENTIAL
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MDADAN 5211
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON INFO IMMEDIATE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO BRUSSELS INFO IMMEDIATE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA
WHITE PAPER
1.
FOLLOWING IS THE LINE THAT WE ARE TAKING IN BACKGROUND BRIEFING OF MEDIA FOLLOWING PUBLICATION OF WHITE PAPER:
BEGINS
WHITE PAPER.
DON'T INTRODUCTION OF DE IN 91 A MAJOR STEP. UNDERESTIMATE ITS IMPORTANCE. IF LEGCO STILL PRESENT SIZE, 18 PER CENT OF MEMBERS WILL BE ELECTED BY DE. ALSO IMPORTANT THAT PRINCIPLE OF DIRECT ELECTIONS NOW ACCEPTED BY HK PEOPLE AND CHINESE. THIS IS NEW AND SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT.
FOR
HONG
2. WHY NOT 1988? HOWEVER YOU LOOK AT IT, SPLIT IN COMMUNITY. SUCH AN IMPORTANT CHANGE, NEED BACKING OF COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. KONG TENDS TO BE CAUTIOUS, PREFER GRADUAL CHANGE. NOW ONLY 3 YEARS SINCE FIRST EVER ELECTED MEMBERS OF LEGCO: WILL ONLY BE 6 YEARS BETWEEN WHOLLY APPOINTED LEGCO AND INTRODUCTION OF DE.
3.
CHINESE DIMENSION.
OF PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
DECISIONS BASED ON OUR PERCEPTION OF WISHES CLEARLY SOME PEOPLE'S VIEWS WERE AFFECTED
IF THERE HAD BY WISH FOR DEVELOPMENT TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH BL. BEEN OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR 88, WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE WISHED TO
SPOND TO THAT.
4.
FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES.
INCREASE OF 2 IN 88 BRINGS UP
TO 25 PERCENT OF LEGCO MEMBERS. DIFFICULT TO GO FURTHER UNTIL CLEAR WHAT IS IN BL.
5. UC. UNDERSTAND WHY UC MEMBERS DON'T WANT ANY CHANGES TO A COUNCIL THAT OPERATES VERY EFFICIENTLY. BUT IMPORTANT TO HAVE STRONG LINK WITH DBS. WP PROPOSALS WILL MAKE SYSTEMS SAME IN UC AND RC AREAS, I.E. EACH TIER APPOINTING REPRESENTATIVES TO NEXT HIGHER TIER. SIGNIFICANT THAT FOR FIRST TIME OVER 50 PER CENT OF UC
MEMBERS WILL BE ELECTED.
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