TNAG-2730-FCO40-3936-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1993 — Page 30

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actions

and that they realise it. I propose that we should follow up the Prime Minister's discussion with President-elect

Clinton to ensure that the new US Administration and Congress

understand our views on how the MFN card should be played and

what other levers the US might be able to use against China. Other countries could also be encouraged to speak up privately

with China.

15. In short, our objective remains a set of electoral

arrangements for 1995 which are demonstrably open, fair and

acceptable to the people of Hong Kong. The Governor should put

his existing proposals to LegCo in February, essentially

unamended. He and we should continue to emphasise that we

welcome alternative proposals and that we will abide by LegCo's

decision on the eventual shape of the package. We should get

across to the Chinese that February will not be the time of

decisions and that LegCo could well modify the Governor's

proposals over the following months. We should inform the

Chinese of any additions before they are introduced to LegCo.

shall need to keep this strategy under review in the light of the

debate in Hong Kong and attitudes in Peking.

We

D.H.

Foreign and Commonwealth office

January 1993

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