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000126
SECRET
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1151
SECRET
30111
OF 250832Z AUGUST 93
To be discussed at the Governor's strategy only MDLIAN 3186
10 Sept.
to
TOP COPY
Miss L
Awaiting reph Q DIST? from Marg Kang
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
PERSONAL FOR RICKETTS, HKD
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR ACTING GOVERNOR
YOUR TELNO 772 TO HONG KONG AND HONG KONG TELNO 1370: TALKS ON ELECTORAL ISSUES: BRIEFING THE BRITISH PRESS
1.
IN THE LIGHT OF HONG KONG TUR, IT MIGHT BE BETTER TO AWAIT THE OUTCOME OF ROUND 10 (4-5 SEPTEMBER) BEFORE TAKING THE ACTION PROPOSED: IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE CHINESE MAY DECIDE TO MAKE A MAJOR ISSUE OF THE LEAKS FOLLOWING ROUNDS 8 AND 9, AND THE MFA MAY BELIEVE THAT THEY CAN SUCCESSFULLY PIN BLAME ON THE BRITISH SIDE.
2.
ON THE SUBSTANCE OF ANY BRIEFING WE WOULD SUGGEST INJECTING TWO
EXTRA POINTS:
(A) IN SETTING THE BROAD CONTEXT (FIRST TIRET OF PARA 4 OF YOUR TUR) IT IS PERHAPS WORTH NOTING THAT IN MAKING HIS PROPOSALS IN OCTOBER 1992 THE GOVERNOR HAD SPECIFICALLY NOTED THE DESIRABILITY OF PROCEEDING IN AGREEMENT WITH CHINA. AS THE DEBATE WITHIN HONG KONG ON THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS DEVELOPED OVER THE WINTER IT BECAME CLEAR THAT MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY HOPED THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO HOLD QUIET DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINA TO SEE WHETHER THE GAP COULD BE BRIDGED. MEANWHILE MANY GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS IN HONG KONG PUT FORWARD THEIR OWN ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS.
(B) WE ARE DISCUSSING DETAILED, TECHNICAL QUESTIONS SUCH AS THE COMPOSITION OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, BUT THE BASIC ISSUE IS WHETHER THERE CAN BE A CREDIBLE AND SELF-CONFIDENT LEGCO ELECTED IN 1995 AND SERVING THROUGH TO 1999, ACTING AS A STRONG BULWARK OF THE RULE OF LAW DURING THIS CRUCIAL TRANSITIONAL PERIOD. OF LAW IS VITAL TO HONG KONG'S CONTINUING SUCCESS. THE DETAIL RIGHT AS A MEANS TO THIS END.
MCLEAN
THE RULE
WE NEED TO GET
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