TNAG-2450-FCO40-3567-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1992 — Page 32

CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET

FROM: CO Hum

DATE: 8 September 1992

CC:

PS/Mr Goodlad PS/PUS

Mr Davies, FED

Mr Cox, HKD

Mr Wye, RAD

Miss Brooks, Legal

Counsellor

Ms Everett, News Dept

Private Secretary

HONG KONG: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

1. I apologise for the length of the attached papers (which Mr Cox discussed with me in advance), but the subject matter is complex.

In

2. The key points are brought out in Mr Cox's submission. short Mr Patten has had to construct a constitutional package which meets conflicting and sometimes incompatible requirements of presentation in Hong Kong, in Westminster (and internationally) and to the Chinese. There are good chances of selling the package to the first two constituencies. But it has to be recognised that, in order to meet their expectations, on a number of points Mr Patten has had to choose options which are not the most palatable for the Chinese. Cases in point are the radically expanded system of functional constituencies and the composition of the election committee.

3.

Negotiations with the Chinese will be difficult and it is very unlikely that we will achieve full agreement on the proposals for the 1995 LegCo elections. But all this has been discussed with the Governor (most recently by Mr Goodlad at the beginning of this week) and I think we must respect his reasons for the course he has taken. Our task will be through careful presentation to minimise the adverse Chinese reaction.

4. In procedural terms, these papers constitute the brief for the Secretary of State's discussion with the Prime Minister on the evening of 9 September. (The Department is ready to provide points to make if required.) In the light of that discussion the attached paper can then be issued either as a minute to OPD (K) colleagues or (if there is to be a meeting) as an OPD(K) paper. The Governor is continuing to work on the text of his LegCo address: the version at Flag B will be changed, notably in its problematical reference to the Secretary of State in para 25. A revised version will reach us tomorrow morning in time for circulation to colleagues with the other papers.

сонии

CO Hum

CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET