TNAG-2008-FCO40-2856-Basic-Law-constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-relations-1990 — Page 87

PM/90/02

PRIME MINISTER

SECRET

HKB 012

012/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

08 JAN 1990

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

RY

ابع

Sei

1.

Hong Kong; Future Constitutional Development

I have been giving further thought to Hong Kong's future constitutional development and the way we handle the Chinese. The Governor of Hong Kong's forthcoming visit to Peking (10-12 January) is probably our last major opportunity to press the Chinese for improvements

in the Basic Law affecting Hong Kong's future political

structure. In the light of the outcome of this visit and

after my own visit to Hong Kong (13-16 January), we shall

need to take a decision about the number of directly

elected seats to be introduced in 1991.

2.

Over coming years we shall not find it easy to

strike the right balance in taking decisions about Hong Kong. It would be absurd and damaging to our own and

Hong Kong's interests to engage the Chinese in a series

of confrontations if that can be avoided; it would be

equally damaging, both domestically and in Hong Kong,

simply to fall in line with what the Chinese want. We

have to preserve our authority and that means showing

that we continue to judge matters on their merits. It is

important for Hong Kong that the decisions which we take before 1997 in areas which are our responsibility should

be seen to be ours and ours alone. At the same time we

/must

SECRET

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