TNAG-1852-FCO40-2627-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 125

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Hong Kong's concerns is precisely the message we have been conveying

to the Chinese in our meetings-both in the JLG and the Secretary of

State's meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister at UNGA.

c) We have no difficulty with the idea that the Basic Law should be

the "son" of the Joint Declaration in the sense that the Basic Law

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is designed to give practicle effect to the Joint Declaration.

But

we have to make clear that it remains a Chinese law, which must be

enacted in accordance with the Chinese constitution (A child of two

parents).

d)

We envisage going into considerable details on the basic picking out the following elements;

i) Future governmental structure;

ii)

Interpretation of basic law;

iii) Revision of Article 18.

law,

e) Stationing of PLA. We have strongly pressed the point (and gained some credit in Hong Kong for doing so) that the issue of stationing the PLA in Hong Kong is highly sensitive. The reply will make clear, though, that we think no further progress can be made by pursuing this line with the Chinese. It will point out that the Joint Declaration assumes that troops will be stationed in Hong

Kong; we have made it clear that the Chinese have the right to station troops there; what we have said is that we hope the Chinese will take account of the enormous sensitivity of the issue in any

decision to station troops in the future.

f)

Democracy. The recommendation that full democracy be

introduced before 1997 is out of step with Hong Kong opinion. The reply will make clear that, not only is this proposal unrealistic, but that it goes far beyond any sort of concensus in Hong Kong. would be counter-productive to say what should or should not be in

Nor the Basic Law at this time. We are not ready to announce what the 1991 arrangements might be, but:

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