TNAG-2712-FCO40-3918-Parliamentary-relations-draft-White-Paper-on-Representative--1993 — Page 104

the Basic Law, Annex I (which specifies the Election Committee that will be responsible for electing Chief Executives after 1997) but that the size of the Committee should be different (600) from that prescribed in Annex I of the Basic Law (800). The Chinese side declined to elaborate on the method for

electing the 600 members of the Election Committee.

They proposed that each of the four sectors would

return (in an unspecified way) three candidates from

among their members and that from these twelve

candidates, 10 members of the Legislative Council would be chosen (again in an unspecified way).

d) Third Phase: July-August 1993 (Rounds 8-9)

29. The position in late June was, therefore, that after Seven Rounds of talks, the Chinese side had finally put forward an opening position on the main electoral issues, but one which contained significant gaps and ambiguities. They had also consistently refused to discuss criteria for

the through train or the three other issues raised by the

British side. Since the effect of the Chinese position would have been to ensure the minimum development of Hong Kong's political system based on restrictive electoral

arrangements including an element of selection rather than

election, there was a wide gap between the two sides.

30.

The Foreign Secretary took the opportunity of his presence in the region for the Tokyo Summit to visit Peking for talks with the Chinese Foreign Minister on 8-9 July 1993. His aim was not to negotiate, but to focus the talks on the essential issues, and to stress the need for early

progress. The Foreign Secretary set out the principles which would need to apply if revised electoral proposals were to meet our requirements:

statememt26.8/BRIEFS/NJH

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