TNAG-2781-FCO40-4000-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1993 — Page 79

6.9.93

NCNA HK Branch

vice-director

Qin Wenjun

CONFIDENTIAL

service.

This would result in divisions

and instability within the civil service and would in turn affect HK's stability during the transition. This would clearly

affect the talks.

The Chinese Government firmly opposes the bid to allow civil servants to join political groups because it would affect the stability and professionalism of the civil service. Many questions would arise if civil servants join different political

groups.

6.9.93

6.9.95

HK Commercial Daily editorial

Chun Kong in Wen Wei Po

7.9.93

Lu Ping

HK's

The HK Government has done three malicious things as far as the civil service is concerned: 1. allowing expatriate civil servants to switch to local terms; 2. creating a civil service functional constituency and 3. encouraging civil servants to join political parties. economic achievements in the past are largely attributable to the neutrality and efficiency of the civil service, and the

Chinese side has been keen to maintain its

stability. The JD and the BL have

stipulated that civil servants can remain in post after 1997 but one major premise is that the original civil service system must be preserved. If the British side seeks to introduce major changes to the system, the Chinese side will be forced to reconsider the pledge.

The main purpose of the British bid to let civil servants to take part in politics and to set up a functional constituency seat for them in Legco is to change the executive-led political structure in HK.

The permission given to civil servants to take part in politics constitutes a fundamental change to the civil service system and is a serious problem. Allowing civil servants to join political groups is to encourage them to join political groups. This will result in bringing the conflicts and controversies among the political groups into the Government. There will be

CONFIDENTIAL