TNAG-1749-FCO40-2468-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1988 — Page 69

CONFIDENTIAL

076237

MDHIAN 1786

RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE SAR AND FOR CERTAIN POLITICAL AND CIVIL

SERVICE POSTS AFTER 1997.

8. THE GENERAL PUBLIC REMAINED UNINTERESTED. EVEN POST-SECONDARY

STUDENTS DEOMONSTRATED LITTLE ENTHUSIASM. WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON DETAILS OF THE DRAFT, MOST PEOPLE QUOTED ARTICLE 169 AS THEIR MAJOR WORRY. QUITE A FEW OF THEM WERE RESIGNED TO THE FACT THAT HOWEVER WELL DRAFTED THE BL MIGHT BE, THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE SAR WOULD BE ABLE TO EXERCISE A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY IF THE

POWER OF INTERPRETATION OF THE BL WERE TO BE VESTED IN THE NPC

STANDING COMMITTEE.

9. IN SPITE OF EARLIER REPORTS THAT THE RIGHT-WING ORGANISATIONS WOULD STAY ALOOF FROM THE CONSULTATION EXERCISE, INDIVIDUALS/ ORGANISATIONS WITH TAIWANESE CONNECTIONS HAVE TAKEN A MORE ACTIVE ROLE THAN EXPECTED. ZHUHAI COLLEGE, FOR INSTANCE, IS ORGANISING A SEMINAR TO DISCUSS THE DRAFT, AND RIGHT-WING LEGCO MEMBER PANG CHUN-HOI WILL ALSO ATTEND A DISCUSSION SESSION WITH THE VISITING

MAINLAND MEMBERS.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

50

.HONG KONG AGREEMENT

.(RESTRICTED)

LIMITED

HKD

HD / FED

RESEARCH (FE)

ADDITIONAL

1

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS

NNNN

DISTRIBUTION

51

PUSD

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MR EGGAR

PS/PUS

MR MCLAREN

MR GILLMORE

3

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CONFIDENTIAL