SECRET
198
.050267 MDHOAN 0833
SECRET FM FCO
MUL 012
2
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1- ROV 1993
TOP COPY
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ion Taken
TO DESKBY 12010OZ HONG KONG TELNO 957
OF 11142OZ NOVEMBER 93
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
HONG KONG ELECTORAL TALKS: OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
Mh I Savien e pe
1. We agree that you should circulate to ExCo as you propose the, draft oath enclosed with Lai's Letter to Ricketts of 9 November. We believe that the draft provides a good basis for what we suspect may be a lengthy exchange with the Chinese on this.
2. On point of detail, we wonder whether we need to set our face against any reference to dedication to a smooth transition. While we agree that the JD might be read as implying a transition ending on 1 July 1997, there is some political attraction in the concept that the transition extends either side of 1997 (cf the JLG). We suggest that if the Chinese side press this point, we could consider including something on this.
2B. We share the doubts expressed in Nigel Cox's letter of 10 November about the inclusion of the reference to Hong Kong being an inalienable part of China. The Chinese side have not sought this, and it has no particular attraction for us. We suggest that it might be held in reserve.
3. We do not believe that the draft to be discussed with ExCo need to include the other detailed points in Cox's letter of 10 November: in particular we do not share his view on omitting the prospective sentence on subversion. This is the central issue in the drafting of the oath, and in our view has to be tackled in the first draft.
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