TNAG-2452-FCO40-3569-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1992 — Page 165

13.

Agreement with the Chinese on arrangements for the 1995 elections is a remote possibility. But some amendment of the

proposals for the Election Committee and/or the Functional Constituencies on the basis of ideas from Hong Kong groups, could help to get the package through LegCo. It might also mute Chinese

opposition somewhat, although we should not overestimate the

chances of that.

14. A meeting between me and the Chinese Foreign Minister, Qian Qichen, might help at the right moment. I plan to see Qian for the next of our six-monthly sessions in March. It is my turn to go to Peking. The Chinese could well propose an earlier meeting. If

they did so, it would be hard to refuse, but I do not think we

should make the suggestion ourselves. An earlier meeting would,

however, have the advantage that the Governor could reassure LegCo,

in putting his proposals to them in the first part of next year,

that we had left no stone unturned in the search for agreement.

15.

We hold some cards in dealing with the Chinese over Hong Kong:

the Governor's popularity with people in Hong Kong, and the widespread support at grassroots level (according to the opinion polls) for his proposals;

China's interest in continued cooperation with us, for example on the commercial/financial area and in ensuring continuity in the Civil Service;

our influence in Washington, where the Governor's proposals

have attracted widespread support and where he and we will be

lobbying for the maintenance of MFN status for China (but the Chinese know that we will be doing this for Hong Kong's sake, not theirs);

more generally, the support for the Governor's approach

among Hong Kong's economic partners in the developed world, and our

influence with them.

cab.off.SA

SLM

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