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The Hong Kong
mic
Jol 10.50
Under an ingenious arrangement (by the British), if China does not give any clear indication on the political status of Hong Kong within the next few years, it is likely that district boards in both the New Territories and urban areas will be given a bigger role to the extent that people eligible to vote as a result of the extension of the franchise will be interested in playing an active part in local affairs. Perhaps then a movement aimed at letting the people of Hong Kong run the territory may emerge.
The powers of the district boards proposed in the Green Paper are very limited. To a certain extent, they can be regarded as a public relations vehicle which provides a new channel through which public views can be reflected quickly to the upper echelon of the Government to assist the "central government” in ruling the place. . . . As the political situation changes, the Government may widen the powers of district boards and we believe that they will become more powerful as time goes by if China fails to give any firm indication on the political future of Hong Kong.
J