TNAG-2724-FCO40-3930-Hong-Kong-political-parties-United-Democrats-of-Hong-Kong-(U-1993 — Page 16

JVERMENT HOUSE HONG KONG.

MON 68 NOU 93 08:34

CONFIDENTIAL

PG.05

Members, Ad Hoc Group

FROM:

A R Paul UKREP JLG

DATE:

4 November 1993

MARTIN LEE

SUMMARY

1. Martin Lee is unhappy about the prospect of a partial agreement, seeing this as a prelude to further British concessions. He insists that the UDHK will support nothing less than the 1992 proposals; and warns that if, for whatever reason, the 1993 proposals are diluted further, UDHK would call on the Governor to dissolve Legco, call fresh elections and let the people decide.

DETAIL

2. I had lunch with Martin Lee on 2 November. This was a long standing arrangement, to follow up an earlier discussion we had had on the subject of defence lands. In the event, however, our discussion focused not on defence lands, but on the 1994/1995 electoral arrangements.

3. Mr Lee was in a fairly agitated state. He said that the Governor had just briefed him on the outcome of the latest round of talks, including the Chinese proposal for a partial agreement covering the 1994 elections and the lowering of the voting age for both the 1994 and 1995 elections. He said the Governor had said that we would probably have to respond positively. Martin Lee said that a partial agreement on this basis would be a bad one. The Chinese were using delaying tactics, designed to prolong the negotiations so as to wear down our resistance.

There

4. I said it was not yet clear whether the Chinese move was a tactical ploy, or whether it signalled a genuine wish to reach a mutually acceptable overall agreement. It would therefore be necessary first to probe and clarify the Chinese position. were a number of points which were unclear - for example, whether they would be prepared to agree to the one man one vote system for 1995 as well as 1994. That would make quite a difference. In any event we had to take the Chinese offer seriously, and that was what the community would expect and want us to do.

5.

Mr Lee was not convinced. He said that we appeared to be sliding down a track that led to further concessions and compromise, none of which UDHK could ever accept.

CONFIDENTIAL