TNAG-2712-FCO40-3918-Parliamentary-relations-draft-White-Paper-on-Representative--1993 — Page 23

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). One effect of this would be that Hong Kong Deputies to the National People's Congress, and representatives

of the Chinese People's Political Consultative

Committee would have seats as of right on the

Election Committee, even though they had not been elected in Hong Kong.

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, 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:

On the Election Committee, that its members should be elected fairly and openly in Hong Kong, not selected; and that the arrangements for

statememt.8/BRIEFS/NJH

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