TNAG-2448-FCO40-3564-Elections-in-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1992 — Page 9

CONFIDENTIAL

001714 MDHIAN 5411

THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. IN RESPONSE, LU SAID THE CHINESE HAD NOT ARRIVED AT A CONCLUSION ON THIS QUESTION AND THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE VIEWS ON IT.

5. WE ARE POINTING OUT TO THE PRESS THAT THIS EVIDENCE HARDLY SUGGESTS THAT THE CHINESE THEMSELVES THOUGHT THEY HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH US. MOREOVER THE TYPE OF ELECTION COMMITTEE WHICH THEY WERE APPARENTLY THINKING OF AS RECENTLY AS SEPTEMBER IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THAT SET OUT IN THE BASIC LAW.

6. WE ARE ALSO PUTTING ACROSS TWO OTHER POINTS TODAY. THE FIRST IS AGAIN TO CHALLENGE THE CHINESE TO COME FORWARD WITH THEIR VIEW OF WHAT THE ELECTION COMMITTEE SHOULD BE. WE WANT THEM IN PARTICULAR TO EXPLAIN HOW THEIR IDEAS WOULD REFLECT THE FIVE PRINCIPLES WHICH THEY WERE PREPARED TO ACCEPT IN 1990.

7. WE WILL ALSO BE MAKING THE POINT THAT GALSWORTHY WILL BE TALKING TO GUO AS SOON AS THE LATTER RETURNS TO HONG KONG CHE IS EXPECTED BACK THIS AFTERNOON), WITH A VIEW TO SEEING HOW THE CHINESE CONSIDER MATTERS SHOULD BE TAKEN FORWARD IN THE JLG.

PATTEN

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ΜΑΙΝ

63

.HK POLICY

HKD

PUSD

FED

DISTRIBUTION

72

PLANNERS

RAD

PS

LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT

.AND MS BROOKS

NEWS D

PS/MR GOODLAD

SIR J COLES

MR APPLEYARD

MR HUM

ADDITIONAL

CAOFF//SIR R BRAITHWAITE

CAOFF//MISS NEVILLE-JONES

CAOFF//MR SIBSON

CAOFF //MS D CORNER

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CAOFF//MR CHARLTON PS/PM

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