I
SECRET
нив aals
FROM: P F Ricketts
Hong Kong Department
DATE: 21 November 1991
Mr Burns
PS/Lord, Caithness
minister fait
Lot
cc: Sir J Coles
Discuss
What will cher Ziping
this?
Carket, Jutiful fir Je für se
DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINESE ON PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS
1.
ء
discus
The Minister might find it useful to have an account of Hong Kong's long-term game-plan for tackling the Chinese over the appointment of senior officials to straddle 1997.
No operational decisions are required now, but I recommend that the Minister endorse Hong Kong's general approach,
which is to start discussions with the Chinese on civil
service issues generally when Chen Ziying (Deputy to Lu Ping) visits Hong Kong next month, and to move gradually from that"renewed discussions on how to ensure as far as
possible continuity in principal officials through 1997.
2.
if
The question of the appointment of principal officials
of the first SARG below the level of the Chief Executive was
initially discussed with the Chinese in the context of
drafting the Basic Law in 1988, with a batch of other issues
including selection of the first Chief Executive, continuity
in LegCo membership and the Preparatory Committee
responsible for the establishment of the SAR and the first
SARG. We were concerned that the Basic Law might go much
further than we wished in all these areas. We largely succeeded in preventing unhelpful wording on these issues in
the Basic Law.
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