TNAG-2712-FCO40-3918-Parliamentary-relations-draft-White-Paper-on-Representative--1993 — Page 18

negotiations on the Joint Declaration and in the Joint Liaison

Group.

20. The Hong Kong Government introduced into the Legislative Council in February a Bill covering one aspect of the Governor's proposals: the establishment of a Boundaries and Election Commission (this was passed into law in July 1993).

Hong Kong's Executive Council endorsed in early February draft

legislation embodying the remainder of the Governor's

proposals. Despite strong pressure from the community in Hong

Kong for the draft legislation to be published, the Hong Kong

Government held back publication for five weeks to give the

contacts between the British and Chinese sides the maximum

chance of success. But at the end of that time it had still

not been possible to agree on an acceptable basis for the

talks, or that they should start at an early date. The draft

legislation was therefore published on 12 March. But it was

not introduced into the Legislative Council. The publication

of the draft legislation was criticised publicly by the Chinese

side. However, on the basis of a further initiative from the

British side, contacts resumed between the British and Chinese

Governments on the holding of talks. Agreement was announced

on 13 April that the talks would be held on the basis of the Joint Declaration, the principle of convergence with the Basic

Law and the agreements and understandings previously reached.

21. The objective of Her Majesty's Government and the Hong

Kong Government in the talks was to establish whether an

understanding could be reached with the Chinese side on a set

of electoral arrangements which they could commend to the Legislative Council in Hong Kong. These would need to

provide:

statememt.8/BRIEFS/NJH

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