TNAG-2707-FCO40-3913-Hong-Kong-political-parties-Cooperative-Resources-Centre-(CR-1993 — Page 55

· On relations with China, would not accept the point in your paper that we have adopted a confrontational attitude. All along we have sought to resolve our differences with China through discussion. We remain fully committed to the Joint

Declaration and believe that cooperative relations between Britain and China are good for Hong Kong. With a lengthy 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] Electio.

Lee:

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.