COAT TEENTIAL
changing all the time, even the more conservative business people were becoming more relaxed about more rapid development of democratic government. So were the Chinese. The FAC's Chinese interlocutors all thought that the Basic Law could be made more progressive. Mr Howell thought that the Chinese might accept the idea of a Chief Executive emerging before 1997 to bridge the transition. On this last point the Secretary of State commented that our impression had been that the Chinese were much less receptive than they were to comparable arrangements for the Legislature.
Mr Howell did not give an indication of what recommendations the Committee would be likely to make on representative government, but he gave the impression that they might conclude that we had been over-cautious in our reading of both Hong Kong opinion and what the Chinese would
And that in any case the position is evolving so rapidly that judgements needed to be reviewed constantly.
wear.
On the future of the British Consulate General, Mr Howell left no doubt that the Committee would be recommending a very substantial building, built with a private sector contribution with a number of floors leased to HMG. He spoke of something of comparable size to the Bank of China building (and did not back off when the Secretary of State questioned this). Mr Howell saw the need for a strong manifestation of continued British interest in Hong Kong. thought that the Hong Kong Government and the Chinese should both recognise that this was in their interest too. He also noted that HMG had been unwise not to acquire property in Hong Kong some years ago, though he conceded that the wisdom of this judgement owed much to hindsight.
He
They
Mr Howell said that the Committee was extremely concerned about the problem of Vietnamese boat people. had been struck by the risk of a fire in the camps with appalling consequences. The Chinese had given them the impression of not being able or willing to speak to the Vietnamese about the problem until a settlement had been reached on Cambodia. They had been evasive on the question of coast-hopping. Mr Howell then observed that if the Chinese simply revictualled and refuelled the Vietnamese boats and send them on their way, why did Hong Kong not do the same. (I have picked up this point in a separate minute to Lord Glenarthur about the boat people problem.)
9 May 1989
CC:
PS/Lord Glenarthur Mr Gillmore
Mr McLaren
Mr Holt, PRU
Mr Millington, FED
CONFIDENTIAL
(R N Peirce)
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