TNAG-2448-FCO40-3564-Elections-in-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1992 — Page 16

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CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL HMG/PRC EXCHANGES: LINE TO TAKE

Secretary of State and Governor have agreed that

these messages should be made public following

references to them by the Chinese side. Chinese side has been informed.

Point of confidential exchanges in general, is to ensure that debate/discussion between States on difficult and sensitive issues can proceed in calm and rational way.

Not a means of hatching secret deals. In this case

it enabled the best deal to be secured for the Hong Kong people in negotiations with the Chinese side.

At each point in the negotiations, EXCO was kept fully in the picture.

Did not

Exchanges make clear that British side pressed hard for the interests of the people of Hong Kong.

Pressed for faster pace of democratisation. reach agreement with Chinese side on number of

directly elected seats in 1995. Undertook to press

for more.

Chinese side appears to be claiming that British side

have reneged on agreements about the composition of

the Election Committee for the first SAR legislature.

Exchanges make clear that this is not the case.

CONSENTIAL