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SOLICITY PROPOSALS IT IS CLEAR THAT THE LARGE MAJORITY FAVOUR THE
MAINTENANCE OF THE STATUS QUO. THERE WERE SOME REPORTS THAT
MIDDLE-INCOME FAMILIES WERE CONTEMPLATING EMIGRATION OR MOVING
PART OF THEIR ASSETS OUT OF HONG KONG, AMIDST FEARS THAT CHINA
INTENDS TO TAKE BACK HONG KONG. FEELINGS APPEAR MIXED ON THE
EXTENT TO WHICH THE PM'S VISIT IS EXPECTED TO BRING ABOUT A
POSITIVE ANNOUNCEMENT.
ASSESSMENT
19. ALTHOUGH THE RECURRENT AND CONSISTENT THEME IS THAT THE
GENERAL STATUS QUO SHOULD BE MAINTAINED, MOST RECOGNISE THAT SOME
CHANGE IS INEVITABLE. THE LATTER IS INTERPRETED AS A NEED FOR SOME
GESTURE TO SATISFY CHINA'S POSITION. AS THE OBSERVERS PUT IT, "IT IS CLEAR WHAT THE STATUS QUO IS AND EVERYONE ACCEPTS THAT HONG
KONG IS PART OF CHINA. BUT NO-ONE KNOWS HOW FORMAL BRITISH
RECOGNITION OF CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY WILL TRANSLATE ITSELF IN
PRACTICAL TERMS''
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20. APART FROM EXPECTING THAT THEIR VIEWS AND WISHES WILL BE
TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, THE PUBLIC ALSO URGES AN EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT.
THUS KUNG SHEUNG DAILY THE PEOPLE'S GREATEST CONCERN IS WHEN
THEY CAN EXPECT TO KNOW THEIR FUTURE'' AND ''EVEN A TEMPORARY
SOLUTION IS BETTER THAN NOTHING'' (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST).
YOUDE
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