TNAG-2732-FCO40-3938-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1993 — Page 243

substance.

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Now that the Chinese have agreed to talks, we should

get on with them as soon as possible. Our team

should be led by Sir Robin McLaren with support from

Hong Kong and London.

Our aim in the first round should be exploratory to see whether there are any amendments which bring the Chinese to a more cooperative approach over Hong

Kong. The team should be instructed not to agree

any amendments without further reference to

Ministers and the Governor.

The Steering Brief for the talks should however

indicate aspects of the Governor's proposals where

we would be prepared to consider amendment. We will

need the Governor's advice on this.

- The talks themselves should be confidential, but the

fact of them should be publicly acknowledged.

We should not try to agree the text of an

announcement with the Chinese side. We would never

agree on what the talks were about. Instead, we

should tell the Chinese that we proposed to make our

own statement explaining that talks would take place

on the electoral arrangements for 1994/95. This announcement should, if possible, be made within the

next week, to avoid uncertainty in Hong Kong.

- The Chinese will try to bog us down in arguments

about principles.

We should tell them that our

aim will be to agree on practical arrangements for

the elections.

- A decision will be needed on whether to postpone the

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