TNAG-1847-FCO40-2622-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 108

CONFIDENTIAL

THKB 011/3

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO

1274

OF 24084OZ APRIL 89

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

(298)

303

004425

MDHIAN 1818

ö

TOP CON Q DIST ?

YOUR TELNO 882: FAC

1. THE SUBJECTS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO THE COMMITTEE WHEN THEY WERE IN HONG KONG SEEMED TO BE :-

(A) DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT BOTH IN THE PAST (I.E SINCE 1984) AND IN THE FUTURE (I.E. ARRANGEMENTS UP TO 1997 IN RELATION TO THE BASIC LAW), AND

(B) THE BASIC LAW (PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEGISLATURE AND THE EXECUTIVE, THE ROLE AND SELECTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL, AND THE POWER OF INTERPRETATION OF THE BASIC LAW).

2. DURING THEIR VISIT THE COMMITTEE HAD PUT TO THEM BY A WIDE RANGE OF SPEAKERS HONG KONG CONCERNS ABOUT :

(A) NATIONALITY IN THE CONTEXT OF ATTEMPTS TO DEAL WITH THE EMIGRATION PROBLEM, AND

(B) VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.

2. ONE OTHER SUBJECT WHICH NEVER CAME UP IN PUBLIC BUT WHICH THE PUS WILL WISH TO BE AWARE OF IS THE INTEREST THEY ARE TAKING IN THE FUTURE CONSULATE-GENERAL. WE HAVE PICKED UP VARIOUS PRIVATE ENQUIRIES BY THE COMMITTEE ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF HMS TAMAR AS A POSSIBLE SITE. I SPOKE BRIEFLY TO THE CHAIRMAN BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE TO EXPLAIN THE COMPLICATIONS OF SUCH A PROPOSAL. I SAID THAT WE WERE NOW ENGAGED IN DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE ON THE FUTURE OF THE MILITARY ESTATE, AND SUGGESTED HE SHOULD ASK FOR A BRIEFING BY THE FCO. IN MY BRIEF DISCUSSION WITH HIM IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE COMMITTEE ARE INTERESTED IN PINNING DOWN THE ORIGINS OF THE ARRANGEMENTS REGARDING THE USE OF CROWN LAND BY THE MILITARY AND THE SYSTEM OF REVERSION WHEN THE LAND RETURNS TO HKG USE.