TNAG-2921-FCO40-4196-Visits-and-proposed-visits-by-Alastair-Goodlad--Minister-of--1993 — Page 27

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CONFIDENTIAL

it

risks

community

2

機齊

criticism

that we

are

being

truculent and confrontational;

proposals, particularly

the

are

unlike So

what

is

of the

EC,

in

respect contemplated in the Basic Law that it would be much easier for the Chinese to justify

their

dismantlement

in

1997

on grounds

incompatibility with the Basic Law;

our

of

credibility will suffer if we are perceived to be

expecting a watered-down outcome;

EXCO is likely to be divided, and LegCo will definitely amend the package substantially.

Second-stage Bill based on 1993 Package?

4.

Pros:

it is arrangements envisaged

will

much

closer than

in

lesser

the

the

Chinese

1992

Basic

package

to

the

Law; as such it

criticism,

and

attract

a lower-calibrated reaction;

it broadly conforms with the sort of package that the majority of LegCo members expect us to put forward, and would probably be acceptable to the community;

consequently,

EXCO

it will probably find

(although

few a

EXCO

easier passage

liberals will be

through strongly opposed to it). There will likely be strong

pressure

for

further

down, watering

package's basic framework will survive; and

but

the

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