SECRET
SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 05123OZ FCO
TELNO 1571
OF 051115Z OCTOBER 93
INFO DESKBY 05123OZ PEKING
INFO IMMEIDATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
ра
(87)
pa. Elections
125460 MDHIAN 7973
only
PERSONAL FOR SECRETARY OF STATE
PEKING PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR
UKREP JLG HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR MR DAVIES
YOUR TELNO 867: HONG KONG CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES: NEXT STEPS
Summary
1.
There are technical arguments against separating the 1994 arrangements from the 1995. But even without these the political arguments against are overwhelming. Our negotiating strategy depends upon applying the pressure of a deadline. Without this the major moves we have made so far - and the one now agreed for Round 13 will have been squandered. There is in any case no evidence
-
to suggest either that we could readily reach agreement on 1994 or that a few extra months will make the difference over 1995.
Detail
2. Thank you for your personal message about your meeting with Qian Qichen. I agree that he seems to be preparing for a failure to reach agreement, and I agree that the chances of reaching one Look small. The strategy set out in my telno 1559 is designed both to establish whether there is any chance at all of an agreement and, if the answer to that is no, to put us in the most defensible position in the event of a breakdown. I am grateful for the agreement in your telno 866 on the tactics for the next round. ExCo endorsed the proposal this morning.
3. On the idea of separating the 1994 elections from the 1995, I well understand that it seems counter-intuitive to argue that we do not have more time available to discuss and reach agreement on the Latter than we have on the former. Part of the answer (which is sometimes forgotten) lies in the fact that we have already started the legislative and administrative procedures for the 1995 elections. The Boundary and Election Commission Ordinance now provides for the increased directly elected DB seats following the
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