TNAG-2799-FCO40-4039-Hong-Kong-six-monthly-meetings-of-foreign-ministers-1993 — Page 43

SECRET

British Embassy

Peking

2 July 1993

PF Ricketts Esq

HKD FCO

(BY CLASSIFIED FAX DESKBY 020900Z)

Dear Pere

1 Guang Hila!

Juan Gay Men Mul

Peking

Po ples Republu 94 €

Telephone. 532 125] ↓

Cable Programme 20sing

Telex V2I

Facsimile 13%,990 ext 25?

SECRETARY OF STATE'Š VISIT TO PEKING

1. Thank you for copying to me your letter of 1 July to Martin Dinham covering revised speaking notes.

2.

I have already had my say on most of the points which arise, but your letter reminds me that I forgot to put to you and Hong Kong a thought which the Ambassador had before leaving here: does our proposed principle that

arrangement for the

"the elections which take place in the Election Committee

should themselves be open and fair"

mean that we are opposed to the Committee voting by secret ballot, or is it likely that the Chinese would interpret it in this sense?

3.

Perhaps it would be better for the Secretary of State to insist that the Committee's electoral procedures must be clear and fair (of course it is not just its voting method which is at issue, but also the nomination procedure etc.)? In any case all would remain subject to the general criterion that the electoral arrangements must be open, fair and acceptable to the people of Hong Kong.

Your

Nige

eve

N J COX

00

M Dinham Esq., Government House, Hong Kong

A C Galsworthy Esq. CMG, UKRep JLG Hong Kong

SECRET