TNAG-2731-FCO40-3937-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1993 — Page 102

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THIS IS A COPY THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED UNDER

FOI EXEMPTION NO....27.(1).

4.

At a long discussion in ExCo on 2 February, the mood swung in favour of tabling the proposals unamended in all important

respects, and sooner rather than later. Even those members of

the Council who had doubts about the substance thought that

this was the right tactical course

We have left it to the Governor the play the hand in this debate. But we did suggest to him in advance of the ExCo meeting that it would be worth considering the consequences for our efforts to get a dialogue going with the Chinese of an immediate announcement that the package be tabled unamended. The Governor took the point that there could be advantage in giving the Chinese one last opportunity

to respond. He therefore concluded in ExCo that:

5.

-

The proposals should be tabled in LegCo unamended (with

one exception: that District Boards should be able to co-opt non-voting "District Affairs Advisers" to bring in

local worthies who would not stand for election).

- This decision should not be announced immediately.

Instead, a public statement was issued indicating that

ExCo had taken their work further on the package of proposals, and intended that a final package should be put to LegCo later in the month.

The draft legislation should be made public on 12 February, unless the Chinese had by then made a serious proposal for talks.

We should use the intervening time to urge the Chinese

once again to respond to our offer of talks.

I agree that, having left a window of opportunity before the announcement of a final decision on tabling the

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