TNAG-2707-FCO40-3913-Hong-Kong-political-parties-Cooperative-Resources-Centre-(CR-1993 — Page 52

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believe that cooperative relations between Britain

With a lengthy

and China are good for Hong Kong. debate soon to start in LegCo, hope that the

Chinese side will be willing to sit down and

discuss the issues with us.

[Supplementary Points for Use if Raised]

Election Committee: Essential point is that the elections should be fair and open. Therefore

essential that the members of the Election

Committee (who will choose ten members of LegCo)

should themselves be elected. The Governor has

proposed simplest way of achieving this (using

elected District Board members). If you can come

up with alternative arrangements which are fair and

open to elect a wider range of people to the

Election Committee, Governor has made clear willing

to consider them.

Governor has not agreed to expand composition of

the Election Committee to mirror that in the Basic

Law. Has said members of the Committee must be

elected. Happy to consider proposals which meet test that elections should be fair and open.

1990 Exchange of Correspondence Between Britain and

China. The exchanges show clearly that the Chinese side failed to meet the conditions of our

offer for the composition of the Election Committee. Arrangements for the 1995 elections therefore remained open.

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