SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret
Secret
DSR 11C
(Revised 5/87)
firmly and toughly while seeking to avoid public
confrontation which serve only to undermine confidence in
Hong Kong.
BASIC LAW
Confidential
Restricted
Unclassified
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
The first
7. The drafting of the Basic Law is the responsibility
of a Basic Law Drafting Committee (BLDC) on which Hong
Kong people have minority representation.
draft was published in April 1988 after 2 years work and
submitted for several months public consultation in Hong
Kong. A second, revised draft is expected to be
published in March 1989 for further public consultation.
The final version is due to be promulgated by the
National People's Congress of the PRC in 1990.
3.
The Basic Law falls naturally into two parts: those
provisions which directly correspond to specific
provisions in the Joint Declaration; and those which
amplify the Joint Declaration; for example in areas such
as the section on the political system where the Joint
Declaration is couched in very general terms. By far the
greater part of the Basic Law falls into first category,
reproducing provisions of the Joint Declaration in
satisfactory (and often verbatim) form.
9. The Chinese Government regard the drafting of the
Basic Law as a matter for them. Our influence on the
drafting process has nevertheless been important.
taking due account of sensitivities in public, we have
While
Page 120Page 121
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.