SECRET
126)
SECRET
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 12010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 381
OF 111545Z FEBRUARY 88
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
063734
MDHOAN 8559
TOP COPY
32 HKB O11/1
12 FEB 1988
}
FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM, HKD
PAPER. WE ARE GLAD
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT: WHITE PAPER 1. IT WAS HELPFUL TO RECEIVE YOUR TELNO 608, DESCRIBING THE FIRST REACTIONS IN HONG KONG TO THE WHITE
THAT IT WENT DOWN FAIRLY SMOOTHLY.
2.
IT HAS NOT RECEIVED A GOOD PRESS HERE, DESPITE ALL THE EFFORT WHICH WE PUT INTO OUR BRIEFING. YOU WILL HAVE SEEN THE EDITORIALS. THE INDEPENDENT WAS PARTICULARLY HYPERBOLIC:
IT QUOTED A PERFECTLY SENSIBLE REMARK BY DAVID FORD TO MAKE THE POINT THAT QUOTE BRITAIN'S GREAT IMPERIAL HISTORY (HAD) REACHED ITS MORAL NADIR UNQUOTE. IN PARLIAMENT THE SECRETARY OF STATE DECIDED, UNDER OPPOSITION PRESSURE, TO MAKE AN ORAL STATEMENT. OPPOSITION REACTIONS WERE ALMOST ALL CRITICAL.
THERE IS A WIDESPREAD PERCEPTION THAT WE HAVE BOWED TO PRESSURE FROM CHINA.
3.
IN SHORT THERE IS NO LONGER ANY PUBLIC OR PARLIAMENTARY
CONSENSUS ON HONG KONG. OUR POLICY WILL FROM NOW ON COME UNDER CLOSE AND OFTEN HOSTILE SCRUTINY IN PARLIAMENT AND BY THE MEDIA. IN PRACTICE, SINCE THIS IS THE NEXT MAJOR DEVELOPMENT ON THE HORIZON, THEIR ATTENTION CAN BE EXPECTED TO FOCUS ON THE PUBLICATION OF THE DRAFT BASIC LAW: REACTIONS TO IT IN HONG KONG: AND THE INEVITABLE CALLS ON HMG TO PRESS FOR IMPROVEMENTS. LYDIA DUNN WARNED US WHEN SHE WAS HERE THAT THIS WOULD BE MARTIN LEE'S NEXT CAMPAIGN, WHICH HE WAS QUITE CAPABLE OF CARRYING BACK TO
LONDON. AS A RESULT OF BRIEFINGS GIVEN BY HIM IN LONDON THE PRESS AND PARLIAMENT ARE ALREADY AWARE OF SOME OF THE PROBLEMS
RELATING TO THE FIRST SAR GOVERNMENT: THE ALLEGED ABANDONMENT BY THE CHINESE OF THE PRINCIPLE OF QUOTE CONVERGENCE UNQUOTE, THE RELATIVELY LIMITED NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS WHICH ARE
VISUALISED AND DOUBTS ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF THE GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
4.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CONSEQUENCES. FIRST, OUR FORTHCOMING EXCHANGES WITH THE CHINESE ON THE FIRST SAR GOVERNMENT ACQUIRE
EVEN GREATER SIGNIFICANCE. IT IS INTRINSICALLY AN ISSUE OF GREAT
IMPORTANCE. BUT THE STANDING OF THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERN-
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