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It suggested that the demand for the provisional agreement should be made by a local organisation which should appoint the Kissinger and Associates Consultancy to act as go-between. The paper noted that the former British Foreign Secretary, Lord Carrington, and Sir Y.K. Kan also served on the board of directors of this consultancy firm. Their experience in HK affairs, coupled with the fact that Dr. Kissinger was highly respected in China, would facilitate faster conclusion of the provisional agreement.
In an open letter to the Governor later in the week, one of the paper's commentators strongly recommended that the Government should appoint the Kissinger and Associates Consultancy to mediate in the 1997 issue. He said the firm was motivated by profit. As long as they were properly rewarded, they would definitely do their best to find a solution to the lease question. He suggested that the Government should sign a "performance guarantee" with the firm to ensure that HK's prosperity and stability could be maintained under their mediation for 50 years. Their remuneration should be paid pro-rata to the number of years of prosperity they managed to secure for HK.
6.
VIEWS OF INDIVIDUALS:
The editor of the Seventies Monthly, Mr. Li Yi, said there was a need to appoint an independent international organisation to find out the real wishes of HK people on the territory's future. Views put forward by interest groups and individuals could not represent the opinions of the masses. Mr. Li noticed a difference in the tone between Sir Edward's Lunar New Year message and his recent TV interview. In his New Year message, he indicated that an agreement on HK's future would be welcomed by HK people, whereas in his TV interview, Sir Edward said a settlement would be acceptable to local residents. This implied that the Sino-British diplomatic talks would take into account the opinions of HK people.
The editor of Pai Shing Semi-Monthly, Mr. Hu Jiajiang said many local residents would be faced with the dilemma of whether to pledge their loyalty to the British Government or to their motherland, if a disturbance broke out in the territory. This was manifested by the fact that the British Nationality Act blocked the chances of HK residents to emigrate to Britain. Such a problem would pose a "big headache" for the Governor.
Dr. John Young of HKU said the Government should have a systematic way of releasing information about the Sino-British talks. He said the Governor's TV interview was a good effort and suggested there should be a monthly press briefing on 1997 by a senior Government official.
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