TNAG-2455-FCO40-3576-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-presentation-1992 — Page 39

6 October 1992

IN CONFIDENCE

HONG KONG:

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Chris Patten will be making a wide-ranging policy

speech to Hong Kong's Legislative Council on 7 October. I

wanted to let you know in confidence of the main points he

will be making on constitutional issues in advance of the

speech.

Hong Kong has changed rapidly in recent years. There

is now much more political awareness. Hong Kong's

political system has already evolved a long way in the

direction of democracy. In considering the next steps in

that evolution, Chris Patten has canvassed views on all

sides, but particularly among the people of Hong Kong. They must make the system work, and live with the

consequences. His conclusion, which the Government

endorse, is that changes are now needed:

for effective and accountable government;

- to make the electoral system more democratic and fair;

and

to maximise the chances of continuity through 1997 by

exploiting to the full the flexibility available within

the Basic Law.

IN CONFIDENCE