CONFIDENTIAL
29
065351
MDHIAN 7517
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 1212OOZ FCO
TELNO 634
OF 121030Z FEBRUARY 88.
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
12
HKB CII||
:
15 FEB 1988
MY TELNO 608: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT:
FURTHER MEDIA COVERAGE AND COMMENTS
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
WHITE PAPER:
THE MEDIA HERE CONTINUED TO GIVE PROMINENT AND EXTENSIVE COVERAGE
TO THE WHITE PAPER. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, ALL MAJOR PAPERS HIGH- LIGHTED REMARKS MADE BY ME AND BY THE DEPUTY CHIEF SECRETARY
WHEN REPLYING TO QUESTIONS FROM REPORTERS, IN PARTICULAR MY COMMENT THAT THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY-ELECTED SEATS WOULD BE EXPANDED AFTER 1991. THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S STATEMENT WAS CARRIED BY MOST PAPERS. MR HEATH WAS ALSO WIDELY REPORTED TO
HAVE RECOMMENDED THE WHITE PAPER TO THE HONG KONG PEOPLE IN
HIS SPEECH AT THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS CLUB. ON THE NEGATIVE
SIDE, THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA AND A NUMBER OF PAPERS RELAYED THE LARGELY CRITICAL COMMENTS MADE BY MPS AND THE BRITISH PRESS.
2. LOCAL COMMENTS REPORTED BY THE PRESS REMAIN MIXED, BUT THE TREND IS NOW MORE FORWARD LOOKING. FOCUS IS ALSO SHIFTING TO
THE POSSIBLITY OF FURTHER CHANGES AFTER 1991. THERE ARE INCREASING
QUERIES ABOUT THE SEVERING OF THE LINK BETWEEN DBS AND LEGCO
THROUGH THE PRESENT ELECTORAL COLLEGE SEATS: AND ON THE SPEED
WITH WHICH THE NUMBER OF APPOINTED SEATS IS BEING REDUCED. SOME
HAVE SUGGESTED THAT DECISIONS IN THESE AREAS HAVE BEEN DELIBERATE
SO AS TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE CONCEPT OF THE GRAND ELECTORAL
COLLEGE TO BE IMPLEMENTED.
3. WE ARE REPORTING SEPARATELY ON OUR ASSESSMENT OF IMMEDIATE
LOCAL REACTION TO THE WHITE PAPER.
WILSON
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