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QUOTE The Executive Council today took further their work on the package of proposals on arrangements for the 1994/95 elections, including a discussion of Legislation which would implement the main package. The Council asked for detailed work to be done on (some points, to be identified during the discussion). The Council intend that a final package should be put to the Legislative Council before the end of the month. UNQUOTE.
It
5.
We believe that this approach has a number of advantages. would not amount to an irrevocable decision to table unamended Legislation. It would THEREBY send a clear signal to the Chinese THAT they have a finite window of opportunity to begin discussions with us, if they wish to do so before Legislation is introduced. And it would not leave the impression that ExCo were drifting.
6.
For these reasons, we would prefer this approach to any of the three draft public statements for use after the ExCo meeting, which you faxed to us. Of the three, we would have favoured the third, with its specific reference to our willingness to hold discussions with the Chinese. But it struck us that paragraph 3 of this draft would tend to signal disagreement in ExCo and possibly be taken as a licence for some members of ExCo to distance themselves from any decision. We would therefore have thought that this paragraph was best omitted if you were to use option 3.
7. For the Private Secretary in Brussels: You might wish to brief the Secretary of State that the Governor is not now planning to announce ON 2 FEBRUARY
a decision on the tabling of legislation
LEGISLATION. We will submit advice on the Secretary of State's return on the question of a message to Qian (para 5 of the Governor's telegram now copied to you). The Secretary of State earlier agreed that such a message would be useful at the right time. The revised game plan set out above would give us a little more time to draft and clear a message.
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