TNAG-1721-FCO40-2401-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-delegati-1988 — Page 154

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 0161

OF 191845Z JANUARY 88

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

HRB 01112

RECE

2 0 JAN 1988

PA

163257

MDHOAN 6946

TOP COPY Q PIST ?

OUR TELNO 148 (NOT TO PEKING): VISIT TO LONDON BY MARTIN LEE

1. IN THE EVENT LEE BACKED DOWN. HE CALLED THIS MORNING, ALONE, ON LORD GLENARTHUR AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE. LATER, ACCOMPANIED BY DANIEL FUNG AND FRANK CHING, HE CALLED ON MCLAREN. 2. WITH LORD GLENARTHUR LEE CONCENTRATED IN RATHER OVERMUCH DETAIL ON THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW. HE EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT CHINESE THINKING ON THE CREATION OF THE FIRST SAR GOVERNMENT. HE ALSO EXPRESSED MISTRUST OF THE CONCEPT OF A GRAND ELECTORAL COLLEGE, WHICH HE SAID WOULD GIVE CHINA UNDUE CONTROL OVER THE LEGISLATURE OF THE HONG KONG SAR.

3. WE ASSURED LEE THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING VERY CLOSELY THE EVOLUTION OF CHINESE THINKING ON THE FIRST SAR GOVERNMENT. ENCOURAGED HIM TO DISCUSS HIS MORE DETAILED CONCERNS WITH YOURSELVES.

4.

WE

THE MEETING WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOCUSSED ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. THE SECRETARY OF STATE TOOK LEE TO TASK FOR HIS GROUNDLESS ALLEGATION THAT HMG HAD BROKEN A PROMISE TO INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988. HE ASKED LEE TO CONSIDER WHETHER HIS ACTIVITIES ENHANCED CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG OR THE CONTRARY. HE RESTATED THE COMMITMENT OF THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS TO THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT

DECLARATION.

5. IN THE MEETING WITH MCLAREN, LEE TOUCHED ONLY BRIEFLY ON DIRECT ELECTIONS, REHEARSING FAMILIAR ARGUMENTS: WHETHER OR NOT HMG HAD MADE ANY PROMISES ABOUT 1988, THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION IN HONG KONG WAS THAT IT HAD. HE DWELT AT GREATER LENGTH ON THE FIRST SARG (ARGUING THAT THE MAIN MOTIVATION BEHIND CHINA'S DESIRE FOR A GAP IN 1997 WAS NOT SOVEREIGNTY BUT CONTROL): ON THE DANGERS OF THE GRAND ELECTORAL COLEGE CONCEPT: ON RECENT APPOINTMENTS TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION CHE NOTED THAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ITS MEMBERS WERE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE GROUP OF 76): AND ON THE FILM CENSORSHIP BILL. IN THE COURSE OF HIS RESPONSES, MCLAREN EMPHASISED THAT THE AIMS OF HMG WERE THE SAME AS THOSE OF LEE AND HIS SUPPORTERS: WE WANTED TO ENSURE THE MAXIMUM OF ADVANTAGES AND CONTINUITY FOR THE HONG KONG SAR. LEE

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