TNAG-2991-FCO40-3566-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1992 — Page 124

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SECRET AND PERSONAL

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THIS IS A COPY

ке

FROM: P F Ricketts

Hong Kong Department

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED DATE: 1 June 1992

IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER

Mr Hum

SECTION 3 (4) OF THE

PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958

PS/Mr Goodlad

Private Secretary

cc: PS/Mr Patten

Sir John Coles

PUSD (CN)

HONG KONG: POLICY ON CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A

1. Hong Kong telegram numbers 1458 and 1459 report that both the Chinese and political groups in Hong Kong believe that a shift in British policy towards Hong Kong is

underway, involving a more assertive line on the number of directly-elected LegCo seats, and on the appointment of the

UDHK to ExCo.

B

2.

Chinese officials

considered using their agreement to the airport financing arrangements as a lever over our policy on these political issues. The Chinese procrastination on the airport financing issue since then tends to confirm that the Chinese are coming to see the two issues as linked.

3.

We are obviously not in a position to give the Chinese cast iron guarantees of no change in any aspect of policy towards Hong Kong. To do so would pre-empt Mr Patten's options for making the changes he judges necessary after his arrival in Hong Kong. On the other hand, it is increasingly clear that unfounded Chinese suspicions of a major tilt in

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SECRET AND PERSONAL