TNAG-2008-FCO40-2856-Basic-Law-constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-relations-1990 — Page 89

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5.

if, as is now envisaged, a Grand Electoral College

is to be set up to select part of the legislature,

to ensure that the College is a genuinely

representative body.

The Governor will find it hard to make any progress

towards these objectives. The Chinese leaders are nervous and suspicious; and the demonstrations in Hong Kong on 1 January will have aggravated this. But the New China News Agency in Hong Kong have told the Acting

Political Adviser, on instructions, that when the

Governor is in Peking the Chinese will be prepared to

listen to our views on the future political structure.

So there is some chance, and we must make the most of it.

6.

In his discussions in Peking, the Governor should

make it clear that if the Basic Law is to command

confidence, it will need to go considerably beyond what

is now envisaged both as regards the proportion of

directly elected seats and in the other areas indicated

above.

7.

On 1991, he should tell the Chinese that it is our

considered judgement that it would not be acceptable in

Hong Kong, given the movement of opinion over the past 18

months, to have less than one third (20) of the seats

directly elected in 1991. He would add that, as the

Chinese know from Sir Percy Cradock, we have been under great pressure to announce 20 seats but, in the hope that progress can be made, we do not intend to make an announcement during my visit to Hong Kong.

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