SECRET
SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1274
OF 020848Z AUGUST 93
HKB
301/1
RECE
ISTRY
1993
DESK OF INDEX
REGISTRY Acton Taken
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
p.9. Media
123373 MDHIAN 0757
123
HONG KONG: TALKS WITH THE CHINESE ON ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS
SUMMARY
'REAL
HONG KONG PRESS REPORTS ASSERT UNHELPFULLY THAT OUR DEADLINE IN THE TALKS IS DECEMBER, AND THAT WE ARE NOW PUTTING FORWARD REVISED PROPOSALS.
1.
DETAIL
2. THE HONG KONG SUNDAY MORNING POST (SMP) ON 1 AUGUST CARRIED A REPORT ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL TALKS UNDER THE JOINT BYLINE OF DANNY GITTINGS (SMP POLITICAL COLUMNIST) AND CHARLES LOCKE IN LONDON. THE REPORT HAS NOW BEEN WIDELY REPLAYED IN OTHER HONG KONG PAPERS.
3.
THE REPORT QUOTES 'SOURCES IN LONDON' AS REVEALING THAT ''OCTOBER IS A FALSE DEADLINE, ALTHOUGH WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE CHINESE TO BELIEVE IT MAY EXIST'! AND THAT THE REAL DATE BEYOND WHICH THERE WOULD BE INSUFFICIENT TIME TO PUT IN PLACE ALL THE NECESSARY ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS LIES IN DECEMBER. IT ALSO ALLEGES, AGAIN QUOTING LONDON SOURCES, THAT WE WILL BE PUTTING NEW PROPOSALS TO THE CHINESE AT THE 9TH ROUND, PROBABLY BASED ON A SMALLER FRANCHISE THAN THE GOVERNOR'S ORIGINAL PROPOSALS.
COMMENT
4.
IN RESPONDING TO PRESS ENQUIRIES, WE ARE TAKING THE LINE THAT THIS IS MERELY THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF IMAGINATIVE SPECULATION ON THE QUESTION OF DEADLINES, OF WHICH THERE HAS RECENTLY BEEN A GREAT DEAL. WE ARE ALSO CONTINUING TO REFER TO THE GOVERNOR'S RECENT STATEMENTS ON THE TIMETABLE FOR THE TALKS, INCLUDING THE NEED TO SAY SOMETHING SUBSTANTIVE ABOUT THEM IN HIS POLICY ADDRESS TO LEGCO
ON 6 OCTOBER.
5.
THIS IS NEVERTHELESS AN UNHELPFUL REPORT, GIVEN OUR DESIRE TO ENCOURAGE POSSIBLE CHINESE PERCEPTIONS OF AN EARLY AUTUMN DEADLINE. IT SEEMS TO BE BASED ON AT LEAST PARTIALLY AUTHORITATIVE BRIEFING. IT MAY BE WORTH FURTHER INVESTIGATION: LOCKE IS UNKNOWN TO US, AND NOT A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR TO THE SCMP. SOME MILK IS ALREADY SPILT,
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