TNAG-2118-FCO40-3024-Future-of-Hong-Kong-general-1990 — Page 128

HKLO40

RECEIVE

ASTRY

6 MAR 1990

DESK OFF INDEX

REGISTRY

Action TaRSO

FILE

®

CALL ON MR MCLAREN BY A DELEGATION FROM THE BRITISH COUNCIL OF

CHURCHES, 3 PM, 12 FEBRUARY

Mr McLaren

Ms Hancock, HKD

The Most Rev Dr John Habgood,

Archbiship of York,

The Rev Dr Philip Morgan, General

Secretary of the British Council of

Churches,

Mrs Katie Laidlaw, The Church of

Scotland

The Rev Gordon Shaw, BCC Executive

Secretary for Asia.

In preparation for their visit to Hong Kong, the delegation

requested a briefing on the latest Government thinking on Hong Kong. In particular, they raised the issues of democracy, nationality and

Vietnamese Boat People.

Democracy/Basic Law

2.

Mr McLaren explained that this was a crucial week for the Basic

Law drafting process. It seemed inevitable that the outcome would fall short of the wishes of many Hong Kong people as regards the number of directly elected seats. As regards the 1991 elections, we had already made clear we would introduce more seats than envisaged

in the 1988 Hong Kong Government White Paper.

3. The Archbishop asked about Hong Kong's fears that after 1997 China could intervene in Hong Kong to deal with any 'turmoil' there. Mr McLaren explaining the current provisions in the draft Basic Law. He added that the stationing of the PLA in Hong Kong was no longer a major topical issue. It was clear that there would be a garrison but it would be important for the Chinese to locate it as far out of public view as possible.

COPADG