SECRET
FM PEKING
TO FLASH FCO
SECRET
156430
MDHIAN 4244
TELNO 1457
OF 211515Z OCTOBER 92
AND TO INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO PEKING: ELECTION COMMITTEE
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THE GOVERNOR WAS ABLE TO REBUTT MOST OF WHAT LU PING SAID BY WAY OF CRITICISM OF HIS CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS. BUT LU PRODUCED A DIFFICULT ARGUMENT ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE.
2.
HE REFERRED TO THE EXCHANGES OF MESSAGES IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 1990 BETWEEN YOU AND QIAN QICHEN. ON 6 FEBRUARY WE HANDED TO THE CHINESE A PAPER IN WHICH WE FROPOSED FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, AND SUGGESTED WHAT ITS COMPOSITION SHOULD BE. THE FIVE PRINCIPLES ARE CONTAINED IN PARA FOUR OF FCO TELNO 98 TO PEKING OF 5 FEBRUARY 1990. THE SUGGESTED COMPOSITION IS IN PARA 5 OF THE SAME TUR. THE COMPOSITION IS CLOSE TO BUT NOT EXACTLY THE SAME AS THAT IN THE BASIC LAW.
3.
ON 8 FEBRUARY CHEN ZIYING REPLIED ON BEHALF OF QIAN QICHEN. THIS MESSAGE IS CONTAINED IN PEKING TELNO 191 OF 8 FEBRUARY 1990. IN THAT MESSAGE THE CHINESE SIDE AGREED WITH THE FIVE PRINCIPLES CONCERNING THE ELECTION COMMITTEE (WHICH ARE WHOLLY COMPATIBLE WITH THE GOVERNOR'S PRESENT PROPOSALS FOR THE COMMITTEE). BUT QIAN STATED THAT 'THE CHINESE SIDE MAINTAINS THAT THE PROVISIONS ON THE COMPOSITION AND RATIO OF THE ELECTORAL COMMITTEE AS SPECIFIED IN PARA TWO OF ANNEX I OF THE BASIC LAW (DRAFT) MUST BE FOLLOWED IN TERMS OF ITS PROPORTIONAL COMPOSITION'. QIAN SAID THAT THE COMPOSITION AND RATIO SHOULD NOT BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PARA TWO OF ANNEX I OF THE BASIC LAW (DRAFT) IS REPEATED EFFECTIVELY UNCHANGED IN PARA TWO OF ANNEX I OF THE FINAL BASIC LAW.
4.
YOU SENT A FURTHER MESSAGE TO QIAN WHICH IS CONTAINED IN FCO TELNO 119 OF 9 FEBRUARY 1990. LU PING STATES THAT THIS WAS DELIVERED ON 12 FEBRUARY. IN IT OCCURS THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE:
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'I AGREE IN PRINCIPLE WITH THE ARRANGEMENTS WHICH YOU PROPOSE FOR AN ELECTORAL COMMITTEE, WHICH COULD BE ESTABLISHED IN 1995. THE PRECISE DETAILS OF HOW THIS SHOULD BE DONE CAN BE DISCUSSED BETWEEN OUR TWO SIDES IN DUE COURSE. MEANWHILE, I HOPE
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