TNAG-2012-FCO40-2864-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1991-1990 — Page 103

CONFIDENTIAL

HiCB 01211

CUNFIDENTIAL

FM J

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELNO 148

OF 191715Z FEBRUARY 90

AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

/318

157713

MDHOAN 3464

COPY

PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR FROM MCLAREN, AUSS (FOR HONG KONG, PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR)

(FOR UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY)

1314

(316)

YOUR TELNO 256 AND HONG KONG TELNO 636 CONSTITUTIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

4/2

MINISTERS WILL WANT TO CONSIDER THE COMPOSITION OF THE 1991 LEGCO IN DUE COURSE, WHEN THE GOVERNOR HAS HAD TIME TO REFLECT AND TO CONSULT EXCO.

2. WE SHOULD CLEARLY TRY TO AVOID A MODEL WHICH THE CHINESE WOULD SEE AS DELIBERATELY PROVOCATIVE. AN EXACT TRIPLE 18 MIGHT FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY, THOUGH I DOUBT WHETHER IT COULD BE MADE TO WORK IN ANY CASE GIVEN THE NEED TO KEEP SOME OFFICIALS. SO MIGHT A REDUCTION IN THE PRESENT SIZE OF LEGCO LARGE ENOUGH TO MAKE 18 SEATS ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN A THIRD OF THE WHOLE.

3=

BUT, LIKE SIR D WILSON, I DO NOT THINK THAT THE CHINESE CAN REASONABLY REGARD US AS BEING COMMITTED TO A 60 SEAT LEGISLATURE IN 1991. THEY MIGHT TRY TO CLAIM THAT

ALL THE MINISTERIAL EXCHANGES WERE CONDUCTED ON THAT BASIS, BUT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE MUCH OF A LEG TO STAND ON. THEY KNOW PERFECTLY WELL THAT THE PRESENT LEGISLATURE HAS ONLY 56 SEATS: WE HAVE NEVER SAID WE WOULD INTRODUCE 60: AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MESSAGE OF 9 FEBRUARY, WHICH CONTAINS OUR STATEMENT OF THE UNDERSTANDING, MADE NO REFERENCE TO PERCENTAGES.

4.

MY OWN VIEW IS THAT THE CHINESE WILL NOT WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT WHAT WE DO IN 1991 PROVIDED/PROVIDED THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SEATS IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 56 AND 60 AND THE DIRECTLY ELECTED ELEMENT DOES NOT EXCEED 18.

KURD

VYY

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