TNAG-2215-FCO40-3182-Address-by-David-Wilson--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-the-Legis-1991 — Page 50

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MDAN 5716

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HMLNAN 6855

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S 454

NFIDENTIAL

HONG KONG

IMMEDIATE F C O

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011119Z OCTOBER 91

FO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

SONAL FOR RICKETTS, HKD FROM GOVERNOR <ING PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR

UR TELNO 1760 AND PEKING TELNO 1631: MY ADDRESS TO LEGCO: OCTOBER

THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS IN TURS. ON THE TWO POINTS YOU

ISE: -

> THE OMISSION OF A REFERENCE TO APPROACHING THE CHINESE ON E NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN 1995 WAS DELIBERATE. MY IGINAL THINKING WAS THAT I DID NOT WANT THE REACTIONS TO MY DRESS TO FOCUS ON THIS POINT, AND WHETHER OR NOT I WAS BEING SS FORTHCOMING THAN THE SECRETARY OF STATE WHEN HE SPOKE IN RLIAMENT AFTER THE PUBLICATION OF THE BASIC LAW. QUOTING THE IME MINISTER WOULD BOTH RAISE THIS RISK AND ALSO GIVE THE BERALS A CHANCE TO MAKE PLAY WITH THE FACT THAT AT HIS PRESS NFERENCE HE REFERRED TO TAKING THE VIEWS OF THE (NEXT WORD DERLINED) ELECTED MEMBERS OF LEGCO ON THIS SUBJECT. I HAD OUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THE CS TO REPLY AT THE END OF E DEBATE TO ANY POINTS MADE ON THIS SUBJECT. BUT ON RE- NSIDERATION, I AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR ME TO SAY METHING. I WOULD PREFER TO DO THIS IN GENERAL TERMS, BY CLUDING THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE AT THE END OF PARAGRAPH 13:

OTE LATER, WHEN WE HAVE BUILT UP EXPERIENCE OF HOW THE COUNCIL

ITS NEW FORM OPERATES, WE SHOULD CONSIDER WHETHER TO DISCUSS RTHER WITH CHINA THE PRECISE COMPOSITION OF THE DIFFERENT ECTED ELEMENTS IN 1995. UNQUOTE

:) I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A REFERENCE TO THE WORK OF THE

G. I PROPOSE TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING NEW PARAGRAPH AFTER RAGRAPH 22:

JOTE I EXPECT THAT THE YEAR AHEAD WILL SEE A NEW START BEING ADE BY THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP IN RESOLVING THOSE ISSUES WHICH RE STILL OUTSTANDING BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. DURING THE PRIME INISTER'S TALKS IN PEKING, IT WAS AGREED THAT THE GROUP'S WORK HOULD BE SPEEDED UP AND ALL NECESSARY RESOURCES GIVEN TO IT, SO HAT THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR THE POST-1997 SYSTEM ARE FIRMLY IN _ACE BY THAT YEAR. WITH THIS NEW IMPETUOUS THE GROUP WILL NOW BE V A POSITION TO FUNCTION MORE EFFICIENTLY AND MORE QUICKLY THAN AS BEEN POSSIBLE IN THE RECENT PAST. UNQUOTE.

ON THE POINTS IN PEKING TUR:

A) I AGREE THAT THE CHINESE MAY SHOW AN INTEREST IN THE EFERENCES TO THE REVIEWS OF EXCO'S PROCEDURES AND OF THE PERATION OF THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM. IF THEY DO, I SEE NO

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