TNAG-2769-FCO40-3986-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-interviews--press-briefings-and-the--1994 — Page 66

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correspondence during the summer. I set out the reasons for this collective failure in my post-mortem minute of 4 November

1992.

5.

This is an area where the Governor and/or the Secretary of State could be pressed during appearances in front of the FAC in January. We will prepare careful briefing with Hong Kong. We have two strong points:

6.

That the 1990 exchange of correspondence did not result in any agreement between the two sides affecting the 1994/95 elections;

and

The Governor's proposals were not inconsistent with the JD, BL or any other agreements or understandings with the Chinese side (as confirmed by independent lawyers to the FAC recently).

Where we are on weaker ground is in responding to any specific question as to whether the Governor and Ministers were aware of the references in the 1990 exchanges to the Election Committee in developing the Governor's 1992 proposals on the Election Committee. We will consider further with Hong Kong how the Governor and Secretary of State should be advised to respond to such questions.

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hebette

PF Ricketts

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