CONFIDENTIAL
HFB 61113
RECEIVE
YGISTRY
640
116460
MDLIAN 5969
TOP COPY COPY Q DIST ?
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2879
OF 29053OZ JULY 88
2° JUL 1988
::STRY
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CER
IND
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Mw29/2
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, HKGO LONDON INFO PRIORITY HKGOS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, BRUSSELS
INFO SAVING SAN FRANCISCO
BASIC LAW: ASSESSMENT OF PRESS AND PUBLIC REACTION
SUMMARY
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GROUP OF 81'S REVISED PROPOSAL ON COMPOSITION OF THE GEC REJECTED
BY 'DEMOCRATS'' GROUP OF 190 WOULD VISIT PEKING TO DISCUSS THE DRAFT BL. SPECULATION ON HMG/HKG'S VIEWS ON THE FUTURE POLITICAL SYSTEM. GOVERNOR'S REMARKS ON CHAPTER V CONTINUED TO DRAW COMMENTS.
APATHY STILL PREVAILED AT DISTRICT LEVEL.
DETAIL
2. MEDIA COVERAGE ON THE DRAFT BL DURING THE PAST WEEK HAS BEEN
DOMINATED BY FURTHER ATTEMPTS BY THE TWO RIVALLING CAMPS (GROUP OF 81 AND GROUP OF 190) TO PROMOTE THEIR RESPECTIVE MODELS ON THE FUTURE
POLITICAL SYSTEM. GROUP OF 81'S REVISED PROPOSAL ON THE COMPOSITION
OF THE GEC, WHICH WAS INTENDED TO SECURE MORE GRASSROOTS SUPPORT FOR THE GEC CONCEPT AND TO OPEN A DIALOGUE WITH THE LIBERALS, RECEIVED
ADVERSE REACTION FROM THE DEMOCRATS
KEY FIGURE OF THE GROUP OF
190 YEUNG SUM SAID THAT THE TWO CAMPS WERE FAR FROM REACHING A COMPROMISE. THE MAIN CRITICISM AGAINST GROUP OF 81'S REVISED MODEL WAS THAT THE GEC WOULD STILL BE DOMINATED BY THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL SECTORS. HK STANDARD (28 JULY) REPORTED THAT FOREIGN COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS WERE ALSO WORRIED THAT THE GEC WOULD BE
MONOPOLIZED BY PRO-CHINESE BUSINESSMEN.
3. THE GROUP OF 190, MEANWHILE, STEPPED UP ITS EFFORTS TO RALLY SUPPORT FOR ITS OWN POLITICAL BLUEPRINT. HK ECONOMIC TIMES (28 JULY) REPORTED THAT THE GROUP WOULD SEND A DELEGATION TO PEKING IN AUGUST
TO DISCUSS THE DRAFT BL WITH LI HOU.
4. THERE HAS BEEN RENEWED MEDIA SPECULATION ABOUT HMG/HKG'S THINKING
ON THE FUTURE POLITICAL SYSTEM. AN ARTICLE IN HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (27 JULY) SAID THAT HMG WAS PURSUING A ''THROUGH TRAIN' MODEL
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