TNAG-2493-FCO40-3625-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1992 — Page 26

UNCLASSIFIED

0846

MDLIAN 6034,

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE AGREEMENTS AFTER 1997.

5. ACCORDING TO SOURCES, THE CHINESE WERE REASONABLY CONFIDENT THAT THE CURRENT DISPUTES WOULD BE RESOLVED IN A WAY ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE CONVERGENCE WITH THE BL. THEY BELIEVED WHEN HK PEOPLE

REALISED THAT HKG'S ACTION WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO THEIR INTERESTS, THE GOVERNOR WOULD THEN BE PUT UNDER IMMENSE PRESSURE.

6. SOURCES ADDED THAT THE INTERNAL DOCUMENT CIRCULATED EARLIER BY

CCP CENTRAL COMMITTEE (REPORTED IN OUR TELNO 2705) WAS NOT A CENTRAL DOCUMENT, BUT ONE AIMED MAINLY AT INFORMING OFFICIALS AT DEPARTMENT AND BUREAU LEVELS OF THE DEVELOPMENTS.

HK ECONOMIC TIMES

7. QUOTING CHINESE SIDE SOURCES, HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES REPORTED THAT THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE MIGHT, IF CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRED, CONVENE A SPECIAL MEETING IN DECEMBER AT WHICH A PROPOSAL TO SET UP A BODY FOR THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY WOULD

BE MADE. THE BODY WOULD BE MADE UP OF NPC DELEGATES AND HK AFFAIRS ADVISERS, BUT WOULD NOT BE CALLED 'SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE WHICH UNDER THE NPC DECISION ON THE FIRST SARG COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED UNTIL 1996. NEVERTHELESS, THE NPC COULD IF NECESSARY AMEND THE DECISION TO ALLOW FOR THE EARLY ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMITTEE.

8. THE REPORT SAID THAT THE NEW BODY WOULD HOLD ITS MEETINGS IN THE MAINLAND, NOTING THAT FORMER DRAFTER XIAO WEIYUN HAD

SUGGESTED THAT ELECTIONS FOR THE ELECTION COMMITTEE MIGHT BE HELD

IN SHENZHEN OR GUANGZHOU.

9. LIKE A GOVERNMENT, MEMBERS OF THE NEW BODY WOULD EXAMINE THE WHOLE RANGE OF ISSUES IN HONG KONG AND MAKE POLICY PROPOSALS ON THEM. SOURCES NOTED THAT THE EXECUTIVE ORGANS WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT IN HK'S ADMINISTRATION: IT WAS ESSENTIAL TO GROOM CANDIDATES TO BE THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE ORGANS WHETHER OR NOT THE BRITISH WOULD RETURN TO THE TRACK OF CONVERGENCE.

FORD

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