TNAG-2987-FCO40-3573-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-talks-betwee-1992 — Page 65

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FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2389

OF 231116Z SEPTEMBER 92

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

FCO: PERSONAL FOR RICKETTS

PEKING: PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR

UKREP JLG: PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY

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to

MY TELNO 2377 AND 2378 AND YOUR TELNO 1406 AND 1407 : CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES: MESSAGES TO THE CHINESE

1 OUR TURS CROSSED WITH YOURS. WE HAVE COMPARED THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S SPEAKING NOTE WITH MY MESSAGE TO LU PING.

ALMOST MIRROR EACH OTHER EXCEPT FOR THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

(I) THE FOURTH TIRET OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S SPEAKING NOTE USES THE WORDING 'EXTREME SENSITIVITY'. PARA. 3 OF MY MESSAGE SIMPLY READS 'SENSITIVITY''. WE SUGGEST THE LATTER SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE THE WORD ''EXTREME''

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(II) PARAGRAPH 4 OF MY MESSAGE DESCRIBES OUR DECISIONS REGARDING EXCO/LEGCO RELATIONSHIP AS BEING ENTIRELY CONSISTENT WITH THE TERMS OF THE BASIC LAW'' THIS POINT IS HOWEVER MISSING IN THE FIFTH TIRET OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S SPEAKING NOTE. FOR THE REASONS GIVEN IN PARA. 3 OF YOUR TELNO 732 (WHICH WE FOUND PERSUASIVE), IT WOULD SEEM WORTHWHILE FOR THE SPEAKING NOTE ALSO TO MENTION THIS POINT.

(III) THE LAST BUT TWO TIRET OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S SPEAKING NOTE READS: ''AN ELECTION COMMITTEE COMPOSED OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEMSELVES BEEN ELECTED FOR EXAMPLE BY MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS'

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THE

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1 T WORD ''BY' SHOULD BE DELETED. IT COULD BE READ TO MEAN THAT ELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHOULD BE ELECTED BY DB MEMBERS.

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