TNAG-2987-FCO40-3573-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-talks-betwee-1992 — Page 36

SECRET

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 03110OZ FCO

TELNO 2445

OF 030958Z OCTOBER 92

INFO DESKBY 03110OZ PEKING

INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG

تھا

1

124

1647

104415 MDHIAN 1752

HWz az

aźle

MY TELNO 244, PEKING TELNOS 124 AND 125 TO HONG KONG AND 1350 TO YOU: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

1. THE CHINESE ATTEMPT TO PREVENT ME FROM SPELLING OUT MY CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS IN MY LEGCO ADDRESS IS AS EXPECTED. THEIR ARGUMENTS AGAINST THESE PROPOSALS ARE WEAK ON LOGIC, BUT I AM IN NO DOUBT THAT THEY ARE STRONGLY HELD. I AM MOST GRATEFUL TO THE AMBASSADOR FOR THE EXCELLENT WAY IN WHICH HE HANDLED THE DISCUSSION WITH LU PING.

2. I BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD REPLY PERSONALLY TO LU. I DO NOT OF COURSE INTEND TO ALTER MY LEGCO ADDRESS (NOR, FRANKLY, DO I IMAGINE THE LU EXPECTS ME TO). I WILL LET THE AMBASSADOR HAVE A . MESSAGE DURING THE MORNING OF 6 OCTOBER HIS TIME. I SUGGEST IT IS

DELIVERED THAT AFTERNOON, AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE AMBASSADOR HANDS OVER A COPY OF MY LEGCO ADDRESS, SO AS NOT TO GIVE THE CHINESE TOO MUCH TIME BEFORE I DELIVER MY ADDRESS.

3. IN MY MESSAGE I PROPOSE TO POINT OUT THAT I HAVE MET THE CHINESE CONCERN ABOUT MARTIN LEE NOT BEING ON EXCO, ALTHOUGH THAT DECISION HAS BEEN MADE A LOT HARDER BY THE CHINESE THEMSELVES. GOING PUBLIC ON THIS MATTER. I WILL DRAW ON THE LANGUAGE IN YOUR TELNO 778 ON DIRECT ELECTIONS, EMPHASISING THAT APART FROM THIS POINT ALL THAT I WILL PROPOSE ON THE 1995 ELECTIONS WILL IN MY VIEW BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE BASIC LAW, AND FOR DISCUSSION WITH CHINA. I WILL REPEAT THE POINT THAT THE CHINESE HAVE CONSISTENTLY TOLD US IN THE AIRPORT CONTEXT TO PUBLICISE OUR PROPOSALS AND CANNOT EXPECT ME TO DO OTHERWISE ON CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES. I WILL CAREFULLY EXPLAIN THE FUNCTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT-LEGCO BUSINESS COMMITTEE (I.E. TO ASSIST THE ADMINISTRATION TO HANDLE ITS BUSINESS IN LEGCO) AND SPELL OUT THE NEW TASKS PROPOSED FOR DISTRICT BOARDS (WHICH WILL IN NO WAY TURN THEM INTO ORGANS OF POLITICAL POWER). I WILL CERTAINLY QUERY

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THAT MEGAPHONE

Redacted under FOI exemption 27(1)