TNAG-2990-FCO40-3574-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-talks-betwee-1992 — Page 168

Private Office

CONFIDENTIAL

The Minister has seen.

I have awarded the final paragraph to take accant of a subsequent telephone call from No lichts. The record of the press conference does not bear out easier

indications that her Ping referred specifically to

'Shadow institutias.

Mr

Ham PS/MrGoodlad

пив

Wws all

FROM: P F Ricketts

Hong Kong Department

DATE: 23 October 1992

cc: PS/PUS

6.J. Duray

CM 20

minister

Private Secretary

23/10

Sir J Coles

Mr Davies, FED

Mr Wye, RAD

Mr Everett, News Dept

An23110

92

HONG KONG: GOVERNOR'S VISIT

The Private Secretary has asked for a quick summary and

assessment of the Governor's talks, to reach No 10 by

1.

1300.

2.

I submit a draft letter drawing on this morning's

telegrams. The Governor will be sending his considered

thoughts on the way ahead after his return to Hong Kong. I

understand that since he left Hong Kong Lu Ping has given a very stark and unhelpful press conference in which he has made clear that if the Governor persists with his proposals on

constitutional development, China will set up shadow

institutions to cover LegCo, ExCo and the Judiciary and that

these are the bodies that would take over in 1997. Lu Ping

has apparently also commented unhelpfully on the airport and

has repeated in some form the threat made during the talks to

publish the Ministerial exchanges of 1990 relating to the composition of the Election Committee. A telegram is on its

way from Peking.

gov.vis.PET

SLM

CONFIDENTIAL

1