TNAG-2990-FCO40-3574-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-talks-betwee-1992 — Page 124

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JL

J.10

CONFIDENTIAL

Message from

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth

Affairs to the Chinese Foreign Minister

(12 February 1998)

I have now had time to consider fully your message

of February and the points made by Mr Chen Ziying to Sir Alan Donald on your instructions on 8 February,

As you know, I attach great importance to

achieving an understanding between our two governments on

political structure and to

Hong

two

Kong's

future

re-establishing the atmosphere of mutual trust in which our governments have worked together in the past to promote Hong Kong's stability and prosperity. I recognise that the Chinese government have approached this matter in the same spirit and have made serious efforts to identify a mutually

satisfactory way forward.

Against this background, I am now prepared to confirm an understanding with the Chinese government on the

following lines.

If the final version of the basic law

elected seats in the SAR

provides ΤΟΣ 28 directly

legislature in 1997, 24 in 1999; and 30 in 2003, the

British government will be prepared to limit to 18 the number of directly elected seats to be introduced in 1991.

You will, however, be aware from my previous

messages

that this rate of progress in introducing directly

elected seats would not be as rapid as many people in Hong

Kong Ox we ourselves would have liked. I therefore very

much hope that as you observe the 1991 legislature in

operation you will come to share our view that a faster pace would be both manageable and desirable, and that, by agreement with you, an appropriate increase might be made in 1995 to create a steeper slope which could continue On this basis, I propose at this stage to

after 1997.

CONFIDENTIAL