TNAG-2708-FCO40-3914-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-and-Par-1993 — Page 65

5 March 1993

David Lidington Esq MP House of Commons London SW1

In responding to your Question on 4 March about Hong Kong, I undertook to write to you as soon as possible.

Diplomatic contacts have taken place in recent weeks in Peking. Our aim has been to explore whether a firm and productive basis could be found for the two sides to enter formal talks on the arrangements for the 1994/95 elections. In announcing last week that the Bill embodying those arrangements would not be published on 26 February, the Hong Kong Government promised to set out the reasons for the delay. The Governor has made a statement to the Legislative Council today, to this end.

Since the Governor's policy Address to the Legislative Council last October, we have made clear that we are ready to talk at any time and without pre-conditions in an effort to reach an understanding with the Chinese side on these electoral arrangements. The Legislative Council is already examining the Boundaries and Election Commission Bill. The Executive Council endorsed on 2 February draft legislation embodying the remainder of the Governor's constitutional proposals. there is no mystery about what the draft legislation contains. We passed a copy of it to the Chinese side on 6 February. At the same time we repeated formally our willingness to talk at any time without pre-conditions; we explained to the Chinese side that the Bill was ready for gazetting.

So

and

We received a positive response on the principle of talks from the Chinese side. To help ensure that talks got off to the best possible start, we and the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, decided to postpone our original plan for gazettal on 12 February, while making clear to the Chinese side that there could not be an indefinite delay, given the practical need to press ahead with legislation. We proposed

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