TNAG-2730-FCO40-3936-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1993 — Page 33

SECRET

pa consar

вста 0530642

MMB 07/1

RECE

OHIAN 5535

15 JAN 1992

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 141000Z FCO

TELNO 63

OF 140854Z JANUARY 93

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

PERSONAL FOR HUM, AUSS AND RICKETTS, HKD, FROM GOVERNOR

PEKING, PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR

UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY

See future section file on topic

YOUR TELNOS 13 AND 14: HONG KONG: DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE

1. TWO COPIES OF THE COMPENDIUM HAVE BEEN SENT TO YOU (FOR RICKETTS) WITH A QUEEN'S MESSENGER WHO IS FLYING TO LONDON TONIGHT. THERE IS NOT YET A FULL TRANSLATION OF ALL THE SUBMISSIONS IN THE COMPENDIUM. THAT WILL ONLY BE READY ON 20 JANUARY. WE PLAN TO PUBLISH THE COMPENDIUM ON 21 JANUARY. WE HOPE IT WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR PEKING TO BE AUTHORISED TO HAND OVER THE COMPENDIUM BY THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK.

2. WE HAVE SUGGESTED TO PEKING (USING OBLIQUE REFERENCES RATHER THAN DIRECT QUOTES) THAT IN PARAGRAPH 7 OF THE SPEAKING NOTE FOR USE WITH LU PING, THE WORDS 'ABOUT THE COMPENDIUM OF ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS' ARE OMITTED. TO INCLUDE THEM WOULD BE SOMEWHAT INCONSISTENT WITH THE INSTRUCTION IN PARAGRAPH 4 OF YOUR TELNO 13 THAT THE AMBASSADOR SHOULD REPEAT OUR WILLINGNESS TO DISCUSS ANY ASPECTS OF THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS WITHOUT PRE- CONDITIONS. INDEED IF DISCUSSIONS WERE FORMALLY TO BE LIMITED TO THE COMPENDIUM OF ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS THE CHINESE WOULD BE ALL TOO LIKELY TO CLAIM, PERHAPS PUBLICLY, THAT I HAD EFFECTIVELY WITHDRAWN MY OWN PROPOSALS.

3. ON A TECHNICAL POINT, WE HAVE ALSO SUGGESTED TO PEKING THAT THE THIRD SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 4 OF THE SPEAKING NOTE SHOULD READ: 'IF THESE SURFACE THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE DURING THE DEBATE'.

4.

THE DRAFTING OF THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION BILL WILL BE COMPLETED TODAY. WE WILL SEND COPIES TO YOU AND PEKING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. DO EITHER OF YOU HAVE VIEWS ON THE TIMING OF HANDING IT TO THE CHINESE?

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