TNAG-2783-FCO40-4002-UK-business-interests-in-Hong-Kong-Chinese-discrimination-ag-1993 — Page 8

A

RE

HICCO1214

CONFIDENTIAL

STRY

Ain 1993

REGISTRY

on Take

Mr Morris PS/Mr Goodlad

Аз

A3 29141

(40)

28 APR 1993

From: J Marshall

Hong Kong Department

Date: 28 April 1993

cc: Sir J Coles

Mr Hum

Mr Davies, FED Mr Wye, RAD (FE)

HONG KONG: GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ELECTIONS

38

1. The attached telegram from Hong Kong reports the results of yesterday's elections to the Committee of the General

Chamber of Commerce. Five of the six seats up for election

were won by candidates with clear pro-China sympathies, after a

well-organised campaign probably backed by the NCNA. The

Minister may like to have a short analysis of the implications

of this vote.

2. The most obvious, loser will ultimately be Jimmy McGregor,

functional constituency who currently holds the seat in LegCo allocated to the Chamber of Commerce. He won the nomination in 1991 only after a closely

fought contest with a pro-China businessman. It now seems unlikely that he or anybody with similar liberal sentiments will

be able to win this nomination in 1995.

3. The organised campaign run by conservative and pro-China

elements in the Chamber of Commerce has implications for the

gcc. min

CONFIDENTIAL