TNAG-2234-FCO40-3207-FCO-sponsored-visits-from-Hong-Kong-to-the-UK-1991 — Page 25

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Ms Saunders Mr Ricketts

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GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO LONDON: POSSIBLE BRIEFING ON FOREIGN AND for adhuce

COMMONWEALTH OFFICE SPONSORED VISITS

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Press

Mr Paul's submission of 6 June (copy attached) sets out the background to the sponsored visit scheme.

1.

Category I Visitors

2.

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Ministers agreed that 4 newly-elected politicians from LegCo should be invited to the UK. The Governor agreed to this and offered to give advice on possible candidates after the September elections. Grateful to know whether you would wish to raise this with the Governor during his visit

(perhaps with officials).

Category II Visitors

3. Ministers agreed that 3 senior local Hong Kong Government officials should be invited. BTC Hong Kong have issued invitations to them but indicated that the candidates might not be able to visit the UK during 1991/92. OVIS have confirmed that this quota can be carried over to the following financial year.

Emer Doherty

Emer Doherty

WH 311 270 2657

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8 October 1991

1.

I think we must discuss the question of Category I visitors with the Governor.

2.

In the event, only one of the people suggested, illustratively, by Mr Paul was elected (Mr Yeung Sum, the United Democrat).

If we restrict ourselves to directly-elected members, we shall end up with a group consisting only of United Democrats, which will breach the ideal of a representative selection and give a rather one-sided message as to where HMG's interest lies. If we look to the functional constituency representatives, we shall be moving away from the idea of helping the newly emerging political parties, which lay behind this proposal in the first place.

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YETAAS

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