TNAG-2719-FCO40-3925-Hong-Kong-electoral-provisions-and-arrangements-1993 — Page 210

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 668

OF 141334Z JULY 93

CONFIDENTIAL

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

pr. Elections (62)

057747

MDHOAN 5676

HKB 011/7

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

27 JUL 1993

In

FICER

REGISTRY

PA

de. Taken

YOUR TELNO 1140: BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION: PUBLIC STEPS

1. We agree that gazetting the commencement notice for the BEC provisions set out in TUR would best be done during the break between the Eighth and Ninth Rounds of the talks.

with 23 July.

We are content

2. We have discussed with Sir R McLaren and Mr Galsworthy the question of forewarning the Chinese. We all agree that we do not want any views from the Chinese, since these could only be negative. But we have doubts as to whether the right course is

Given that we will be to say nothing at all to them in advance. seeing the relevant Chinese officials on the last day of the Eighth Round of talks on 22 July, we think that they would regard it as disingenuous if we said nothing on that occasion about the announcement which then took place the following day. to make play with this point, we suggest that we should tell the Chinese side in a low-key way on 22 July about the announcement (this might be done below Sir R McLaren's level, eg by Cox to Zhao Jihua).

HURD

To minimise their scope

YYYY

MAIN

.HK POLICY

HKD

PUSD

FED

65

DISTRIBUTION

NTCD

PLANNERS RAD

PS

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