TNAG-2033-FCO40-2896-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1990 — Page 49

BASIC LAW PROVISIONS CONTRAVENE JOINT DECLARATION, WHICH PROVIDES FOR FULLY DIRECTLY ELECTED LEGISLATURE

Joint Declaration provides for legislature to be "constituted by elections". It is the Basic Law which provides for ultimate general election.

????? Latest proposals provide for possibility of full direct elections after 2007.

OVERRIDEN HONG KONG INTERESTS FOR SAKE OF RELATIONS WITH

CHINA

Have at all stages in our discussions with China fully represented Hong Kong people's views.

Central point of our relations with China is cooperation over Hong Kong. Idea of separate, vested UK interests

absurd.

OVERRIDEN HONG KONG INTERESTS FOR TRADE INTERESTS

Nonsense. In 1989 our trade with China was UK exports

£418 million, UK imports £530 million. Our trade with Hong

Kong was UK exports £1.1 billion, UK imports £2.0 billion.

NUMBERS NOT SO FAVOURABL COMPARED TO SECOND DRAFT OF BASIC

LAW

-

Still an improvement, despite set-backs since second draft

published in February 1989 (following Tiananmen Square).

K

Percentages of directly elected seats in Annex II of

February 1989 draft are: 1997 - 27%, 1999

50%.

-

38% and 2003

-

Percentages under current proposals are respectively

30%, 40% and 50%.

Our decision for 1991 represents increase of eight seats

from 10, as envisaged in 1988 to 18.

DENAAQ ( 2 )