TNAG-2769-FCO40-3986-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-interviews--press-briefings-and-the--1994 — Page 226

D. Ford (Cale Ang) Me Caunesque of people who were chutes

shy

CONFIDENTIAL

large enough franchise (& avoid iryping)

(Sy 5, OK /is-Schwen)

า

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1489

OF 20030OZ SEPTEMBER 93

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

p.m.

Media 167

062473

MDADAN 6772

Timing anful in surfacing th

(Qian)

So

(Next WK-27/9-4/10)?

OUR TELNO 1406: HONG KONG TALKS: PRESS BRIEFINGS.

1.

HUB 301/1

нив

2 SEP 1993

stul

Idea

WE UNDERTOOK TO LET YOU HAVE OUR THOUGHTS ON THE KEY POINTS BE MADE TO TRUSTED CORRESPONDENTS AND EDITORS IN BRIEFINGS DURING THE RUN UP TO THE TWELFTH ROUND OF TALKS. PUBLIC OPINION HAS HELD UP WELL THIS YEAR BUT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SCALE AND INTENSITY OF CHINESE BRIEFINGS. THEY HAVE MADE SOME HEADWAY WITH THE MAINSTREAM CHINESE LANGUAGE PRESS AND WE WANT TO COUNTER THIS BEFORE IT IS REFLECTED IN PUBLIC OPINION. OUR OBJECTIVE WILL BE TO

DEVELOP A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR POSITION BY:

2.

(I)

(II)

EXPLAINING THE PRINCIPLES UNDERPINNING OUR PROPOSALS;

CONTRASTING THESE WITH THE WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE THE PRC'S OBJECTIVES; AND

(III) EXPOSING TO PUBLIC SCRUTINY SOME OF THE MORE BLATANT

'DEMOCRATIC CENTRALIST' ELEMENTS IN THE CHINESE

POSITION.

WE ENVISAGE BACKGROUND BRIEFINGS IN WHICH WE WOULD MAKE

THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

(I)

THE TALKS ARE NOT ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FULLY- FLEDGED DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG. WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT

WITH CHINA FOR THE GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER 1997. THE DEBATE IS ABOUT WHETHER THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994-95 ELECTIONS, THE NEXT STAGE IN THE AGREED PROGRAMME, WILL BE OPEN AND FAIR AND WHETHER THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IS TO BE A REPRESENTATIVE AND THEREFORE A

CREDIBLE INSTITUTION.

(II) THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS WOULD RESULT IN OPEN AND

FAIR ELECTIONS AND THE 1995 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WOULD BE CREDIBLE. THESE PROPOSALS HAVE WON STRONG SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY, SUPPORT WHICH HAS HELD UP WELL DESPITE A DETERMINED

PAGE

1

CONFIDENTIAL