TNAG-2731-FCO40-3937-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1993 — Page 119

SECRET

SECRET

FM PEKING

TO DESKBY 01100OZ FCO

TELNO 135

Secret

HAZ 017

RECE

OF 010933Z FEBRUARY 93

TRY

INFO DESKBY 011000Z HONG KONG

-3 FEB 1993

INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG

IN

HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR

YOUR TELNO 84 TO HONG KONG: HONG KONG: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

EXCO DISCUSSION ON

52

122757

MDADAN 1297

1. LU PING HAS STILL NOT RESPONDED TO MY APPROACH OF 14 JANUARY. HE IS DUE TO MEET HONG KONG ADVISERS'' IN CANTON FROM 5-7 FEBRUARY AND ON PAST FORM IS LIKELY TO SPEND A FEW EXTRA DAYS THERE. IT REMAINS POSSIBLE THAT HE WILL PROPOSE A MEETING HERE BEFORE SETTING OFF FOR CANTON. IF I DO NOT SEE HIM IN THE NEXT DAY OR SO IT MAY BE ANOTHER TEN DAYS BEFORE LU IS BACK IN PEKING. EVEN THEN THERE WILL BE NO GUARANTEE OF AN EARLY MEETING.

2.

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THE ''UNILATERAL TABLING OF ELECTORAL LEGISLATION. THE CHINESE WOULD FEEL THEMSELVES BOUND TO REACT IN SOME WAY TO SUCH A TABLING, WHETHER OR NOT THE ORIGINAL PROPOSALS WERE CHANGED. THEY MIGHT TAKE THE VIEW THAT A FURTHER PROPAGANDA BLAST WAS A SUFFICIENT RESPONSE, GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE TABLING OF DRAFT BILLS WOULD BE NO MORE THAN THE START OF WHAT WE HAVE WARNED THEM WILL BE A LENGTHY PROCESS. BUT THEY MIGHT ALSO FEEL THAT LEGCO MEMBERS - AND HKG/HMG - SHOULD BE GIVEN A MORE CONCRETE REMINDER OF WHERE POWER WILL BE POST-1997. SETTING UP SOME NEW COMMITTEE TO ADVISE ON TRANSITIONAL AFFAIRS WOULD BE ONE POSSIBLE STEP. THE ROLE TO BE PLAYED IN PRACTICE BY SUCH A COMMITTEE COULD BE SETTLED LATER IN THE LIGHT OF SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENTS IN LEGCO AND IN SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS.

3.

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