TNAG-2455-FCO40-3576-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-presentation-1992 — Page 56

CONFIDENTIAL

IMMEDIATE

But the Chinese position remains that the Basic Law

changed before 1997. We will continue to make the case for more

directly elected seats in 1995 with vigour. But this is not the

only way of building up democracy in Hong Kong. The Governor

will therefore be exploring in parallel how to develop Hong

Kong's representative institutions to the maximum extent within

the terms of the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.

7.

The key

The Governor's package adds up to a very substantial

increase in the degree of democracy in Hong Kong.

points include lowering the voting age to 18: making the District

Boards fully directly elected: greatly expanding the electorate

for the Leg Co functional constituencies to include the entire

working population: and ensuring that the members of the

Election Committee who will elect 10 LegCo members should

themselves have been elected (for example the Committee could

draw all or most of its members from the directly-elected

District Board members). In this way, every level of

representative Government up to and including LegCo will have

been formed on the basis of broadly based, fair and open

elections.

8. To maximise the chances of continuity in 1997, we shall be

discussing the electoral arrangements with the Chinese side,

starting with the Governor's visit to Peking from 21-23

October. On these issues, therefore, the Governor will be

announcing proposals in his LegCo speech.

9. The Governor's discussions in Peking will also cover the Hong

Kong airport. We and the Chinese side are agreed that Hong Kong

needs a new airport. The Chinese Foreign Minister confirmed this

again to me in New York last month. The Chinese have been

dragging their feet on the financing arrangements.

We have now

put