CONFIDENTIAL
01154
MDHOAN 7877
10. WE CANNOT AVOID AMENDING THESE ORDINANCES WITHOUT ABANDONING THE BILL OF RIGHTS ITSELF. LEGCO WILL NOT BE WILLING TO EXTEND THE FREEZE PERIOD, SO AFTER 7 JUNE THE ORDINANCES COULD BE STRUCK DOWN ON JUDICIAL REVIEW.
11. THE CHINESE CAN MAKE A ROW, WHICH COULD BE DEBILITATING, AND THIS COULD FURTHER SLOW DOWN WORK IN THE JLG. BUT ON PAST FORM, THE FALL-OUT IS LIKELY TO BE LIMITED - EG NO LINKAGE TO THE AIRPORT PROJECT. AND THE CHINESE HAVE NO PRACTICAL POWER TO FRUSTRATE THE AMENDMENTS BEFORE 1997. (WE CANNOT SENSIBLY PREDICT WHAT THEY WILL SEEK TO DO THEN, WHEN THEY WILL THEMSELVES HAVE TO WEIGH THE REAL IMPACT ON HONG KONG).
12.
I BELIEVE THAT OUR OBJECTIVES MUST THEREFORE BE
(A) TO GET THE ROW WITH THE CHINESE OUT OF THE WAY AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE:
(B) TO MINIMIZE ITS IMPACT ON THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH QIAN QICHEN ON 9 MARCH (WHILE BEARING IN MIND THE LEVERAGE THAT MEETING MAY AFFORD): AND
(C) QUIETLY TO GET SOME CREDIT WITH LEGCO AND IN THE UK FOR STICKING TO OUR GUNS ON THE BILL OF RIGHTS. (BUT WE MUST DISCOURAGE CROWING.)
13.
HKG'S PROPOSALS SEEM TO ME TO MEET THESE OBJECTIVES, ALTHOUGH I WOULD LIKE THEM TO LOOK AGAIN AT THE POSSIBILITY OF GIVING THE CHINESE INFORMALLY AND AS COURTESY A LITTLE ADVANCE NOTICE OF PUBLICATION OF THE DRAFT AMENDMENTS (EXPLAINING THAT BECAUSE OF OUR DIFFERENCE OF VIEWS ON THE BOR WE HAD JUDGED THAT CONSULTATION WOULD NOT BE USEFUL: AND THAT THE SARG WILL BE FREE TO RECONSIDER MATTERS IN 1997). WE SHOULD GET ON WITH AMENDING THE ANTI-CORRUPTION ORDINANCES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. DEPENDING ON THE CHINESE REACTION TO THESE, WE SHOULD PROBABLY THEN LET THE DUST SETTLE A LITTLE, LEAVING THE OTHERS UNTIL AFTER THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH QIAN QICHEN. (THE LEGISLATIVE TIMETABLE IS TOO TIGHT TO LEAVE ALL SIX ORDINANCES UNTIL AFTER THAT MEETING AND WE COULD NOT RUSH THEM ALL THROUGH BEFORE IT).
TEXT OF SUBMISSION ENDS HERE
TEXT OF DRAFT TELEGRAM STARTS HERE
PAGE 4 CONFIDENTIAL
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