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IN THIS "COMPANY" (HONG KONG). BOTH PARTIES HAVE COMMON INTERESTS:
TO MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY IN ORDER TO GAIN PROFITS. BUT A
CONTRADICTION ALSO EXISTS BETWEEN THEM BOTH WANT TO HAVE A LARGER
SHARE OF THE INTERESTS AND CONTROL. HOWEVER, THIS CONTRADICTION
MOST CERTAINLY WILL NOT CAUSE THE BREAK UP OF THE PARTNERSHIP
PECAUSE THE SITUATION OF "EACH GOING HIS OWN WAY" IS SOMETHING
BOTH DO NOT WANT TO SEE. IN ADDITION, THE ABSOLUTE INTERESTS GAINED
BY BOTH HAVE ALSO INCREASED. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THE SIZE OF THE
RELATIVE INTERESTS. EVEN THIS POINT WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO UNDERMINE
THIS GOOD PARTNERSHIP.
LEAVING HONG KONG IN THE HANDS OF THE BRITISH ((SUBHEAD))
•
FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE BRITISH, IF HONG KONG REMAINS
IN THEIR HANDS AFTER 1997, THAT WILL NATURALLY BE THE BEST GUARANTEE
FOR THEIR PROFITS. ONCE POLITICAL POWER CHANGES HANDS, IT IS HARD
TO PREDICT CHANGES ON THE PART OF THE PARTNER THIS POINT ALSO
WORRIES CHINA. CHINA DOES NOT YET KNOW WHETHER IT WOULD BE BEST
TO TAKE POLITICAL POWER INTO ITS OWN HANDS. IT HAS TO WORRY ABOUT
IF SO, WHETHER TAKING POLITICAL POWER WILL SCARE AWAY ITS PARTNER
THEN IT WOULD BE FAR BETTER TO LEAVE THE MANAGEMENT TO THE PARTNER.
IT CAN BE SAID THAT CHINA HAS TWO IMPORTANT QUESTIONS (ASIDE FROM
THE QUESTION OF CHANGES IN THE DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL SITUATION)
TO CLARIFY AT THIS POINT BEFORE IT CAN DECIDE WHAT TO DO AFTER 1977.
THE FIRST QUESTION IS WHETHER CHINESE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG
WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY THE SECOND
QUESTION IS WHETHER IT IS POSSIBLE TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE CHINA'S
INFLUENCE IN HONG KONG WITHOUT EXCEEDING THE LIMIT OF TOLERANCE OF
FOREIGN INVESTORS. (IF CHINA MONOPOLIZES EVERYTHING IT WILL ONLY
SQUEEZY OUT MOST OF THE INVESTORS.L HOWEVER, NO MATTER WHAT THE
ANSWERS TO THESE TWO QUESTIONS ARE, THERE IS ONLY ONE FUTURE FOR
HONG KONC'S ECONOMIC STRUCTURE--MAINTENANCE OF THE STATUS QUO.
LOOKING FROM PRESENT CONDITIONS. IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR HONG KONG
TO REMAIN IN THE HANDS OF THE BRITISH THAN TO BE TAKEN BACK BY
•
CHINA.
כי---