TNAG-2451-FCO40-3568-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1992 — Page 160

FCS/92/053

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HONG KONG: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

1. Chris Patten has considered the way forward on constitutional development in Hong Kong, and has sent us his proposals. He will need to describe his approach when he addresses the Legislative Council (LegCo) on 7 October.

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2. I enclose an annex setting out his detailed proposals, and the latest draft of this part of his LegCo speech. discussed the issues with him in Hong Kong in July, and Alastair Goodlad has recently worked closely there with him on

content and tactics.

3. Hong Kong has changed rapidly in recent years. There is much more political awareness. Chris has concluded that changes are needed to the constitutional arrangements to bring them into line with the territory's requirements at this stage of its political development. He has developed a package of

measures which:

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meet the needs of public administration in Hong Kong;

make the electoral system more democratic and fair;

exploit to the full the flexibility available within the Basic Law while staying within its terms.

SECRET