TNAG-2785-FCO40-4004-Hong-Kong-UK-Parliamentary-and-other-interest-in-constitutio-1993 — Page 110

Mr Pethwick

UND

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SHAWCRO

LETTER FROM LORD SHAWCROSS

I would suggest the following paragraph in reply to Lord Shawcross' letter to the Secretary of State of 15 January.

1.

The Governor's proposals for the 1995 elections were raised at the twenty-fifth meeting of the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group which met in Hong Kong from 8 to 10 December 1992. The Chinese side's position in essence was that there could be no discussions of the 1995 elections unless the Governor withdrew his proposals. The British side put forward our position that we did not accept that either side has the right to insist on preconditions for talks. We did not insist that Mr Patten's proposals should form the sole basis for such talks: We were prepared to discuss any aspects of the subject that the Chinese wished, any ideas they wished to put forward, as well as any areas in which they felt Mr Patten's proposals might be contrary to the Basic Law.

RAJ Bunten Hong Kong Dept WH 305 270-2655

20 January 1993