TNAG-2177-FCO40-3114-Hong-Kong-Bill-of-Rights-1990 — Page 154

CONFIDENTIAL

CHKD241

336,

141577 MDLOAN 9991

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELNO 1912

OF 15154OZ OCTOBER 90

1990

INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

PERSONAL FOR ACTING GOVERNOR FROM, PAUL HKD

YOUR TELNO 3025: BILL OF RIGHTS

1. THANK YOU FOR TUR. AS I HOPE PARAGRAPH 4 OF MY TELNO 1866 MADE CLEAR, THERE IS CERTAINLY NO QUESTION OF REOPENING ISSUES WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN SETTLED OR MAKING FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES TO THE BILL AT THIS STAGE. BUT MINISTERS WILL WANT A CAREFUL ACCOUNT OF WHERE MATTERS NOW STAND. I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING THE TELEGRAM REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH 5 OF TUR.

2.

ON THE LAST SENTENCE OF PARA 3 OF TUR, SUCH A FORMULA WOULD SEEM TO REVERT TO THE FIRST FALLBACK POSITION AGREED IN FCO

TELNO 1747 TO YOU AND YOUR TELNO 2842. WE HAD UNDERSTOOD THAT

ONLY A REFERENCE TO 'SUBJECT TO THE BASIC

LAW' TOUT COURT WOULD SUFFICE. UKREP JLG TELNO 345 REINFORCED THIS IMPRESSION.

3. I SUGGEST THAT, FOLLOWING MS BARRETT'S DISCUSSIONS WITH YOUR LEGAL ADVISERS, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A CLEAR DRAFT AMENDMENT WHICH IT IS PROPOSED WE SHOULD PUT TO THE CHINESE.

HURD

YYYY

MAIN

77

.HONG KONG AGREEMENT

.(RESTRICTED)

LIMITED

HKD

DISTRIBUTION

80

PUSD

NEWS D

PS/LORD CAITHNESS

MR MCLAREN

PAGE

CONFIDENTIAL

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Redacted under FOI exemption 27(1)