TNAG-1752-FCO40-2472-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1988 — Page 144

CONFIDENTIAL

136671

MDHIAN 3155

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 121230Z FCO

TELNO 146

OF 12111OZ JANUARY 88

PERSONAL FOR HUM, HKD FROM GOVERNOR

VISIT TO HONG KONG OF MR GEORGE FOULKES

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I HAD A MEETING WITH MR FOULKES THIS AFTERNOON. SINCE HE ARRIVED HE HAD DETECTED A STRONGER SWING TOWARDS DIRECT HE SAID THAT ELECTIONS IN 1988 THAN HE HAD EXPECTED AND ALSO SENSED AN UNK LINGNESS FOR IT TO BE SEEN THAT THE PRC WAS DICTATING TERMS TO HMG. I EXPLAINED THE PARAMETERS WITHIN WHICH WE WERE WORKING FOLLOWING THE REPORT OF THE SURVEY OFFICE: IE A STRONG DESIRE

FOR DIRECT ELECTIONS BEFORE 1997 BUT A SHARP DIVISION ON WHETHER THEY SHOULD BE INTRODUCED IN 1988. THE PRC SHOULD NOT DOMINATE OUR THINKING,

I SAID THAT WHILE I AGREED THAT REALITY THAT THE BASIC LAW WOULD LAY DOWN THE COMPOSITION OF THE

IT WAS A PRACTICAL LEGISLATURE IN 1997. WE HAD TO TAKE DUE ACCOUNT OF THIS FACTOR WE ALSO HAD TO BE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT FELT STRONGLY THAT THE BL SHOULD NOT BE PRE-EMPTED. NEVERTHELESS

OUR CLEAR STATEMENT THAT ALL THE OPTIONS IN THE GREEN PAPER WERE REAL ONES AND EVEN THE HOLDING OF THE 1987 REVIEW SHOWED THAT WE DID NOT ALLOW THE CHINESE TO BE THE SOLE ARBITER IN OUR DECISIONS

2. MR FOULKES SAID THAT THE POLICY OF BIPARTISANSHIP ON THE SUBJECT OF HONG KONG WHICH HAD BEEN STARTED BY MR HEALEY WAS BEING CONTINUED BY MR KAUFMANN. BUT THIS COULD NOT BE AT ANY COST HE THOUGHT IT LIKELY THAT MR KAUFMANN WOULD WISH TO TALK TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE BEFORE THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE ON HONG KONG AND PASS ON HIS VIEWS ON THE SUBJECT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS. IT WOULD HELP THE MAINTENANCE OF A BIPARTISAN POLICY IF THESE VIEWS COULD BE TAKEN ACCOUNT OF WHAT MR FOULKES CLEARLY HAD IN MIND WAS ACCEPTANCE BY HMG OF SOME MOVEMENT TOWARDS DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988.

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HOWEVER ATTRACTIVE BIPARTISANSHIP MAY BE I DO NOT SEE HOW IT CAN BE BOUGHT AT THE PRICE OF ANY MOVE ON DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988. BUT IT MIGHT HELP TO KEEP THE DEBATE ON SENSIBLE LINES IF THE SECRETARY OF STATE BRIEFED MR KAUFMANN ON PRIVY COUNCILLOR TERMS ABOUT WHAT WE PROPOSE TO INCLUDE IN THE WHITE PAPER AND, IN GENERAL TERMS, ON THE LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE HAD WITH

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