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SURVEYS
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10. THERE HAVE BEEN TWO MAJOR INDEPENDENT SURVEYS OF PUBLIC OPINION (REFORM CLUB AND THE OBSERVERS''). BOTH, CONDUCTED BY SURVEY RESEARCH UNIT HONG KONG, WERE BASED ON 1,000 INTERVIEWS USING UP TO DATE SAMPLING TECHNIQUES. THE FIRST, PUBLISHED BY THE REFORM CLUB IN APRIL, SHOWED THAT 85% PREFERRED CONTINUED RULE BY BRITAIN EITHER BY MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO (A BRITISH COLONY UNDER BRITISH ADMINISTRATION** 70%) OR AS A TRUST TERRITORY (1.E. TO REMAIN UNDER BRITISH ADMINISTRATION WITH SOVEREIGNTY BELONGING TO CHINA** 15%). 4% WANTED IT TO REVERT TO CHINESE ADMINISTRATION. 28% SAID THEY WOULD EMIGRATE IF CHINA TOOK OVER. FREEDOM OF LIFE STYLE WAS A MAJOR FACTOR IN PEOPLE'S PREFERENCE FOR HONG KONG AS PRESENTLY GOVERNED.
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11. THE REFORM CLUB HAD EARLIER ADVANCED ITS OWN PROPOSALS FOR
THE FUTURE. THESE WERE BASED ON BRITAIN'S RELINQUISHING ALL CLAIMS TO THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG AFTER 1997, IN RETURN FOR WHICH CHINA WOULD CREATE A TRUST TERRITORY UNDER BRITISH ADMINISTRATION FOR A TERM OF AT LEAST 20 YEARS. THEREAFTER, CHINA WOULD GIVE AT LEAST
10 YEARS NOTICE OF ANY INTENTION TO RESUME ADMINISTRATION, THE
REFORM CLUB SAID THAT SOME FORM OF AGREEMENT WAS IMPERATIVE
WITHIN TWO OR THREE YEARS.
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12. THE OBSERVERS' PUBLISHED THEIR SURVEY THIS MONTH. 95%
OF THOSE POLLED FOUND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE STATUS QUO AN
ACCEPTABLE OPTION, COMPARED TO 64% WHO ACCEPTED HONG KONG'S
REMAINING UNDER BRITISH ADMINISTRATION BUT WITH CHINESE
SOVEREIGNTY, 26% ITS RETURN TO CHINA, 42% ITS BECOMING A SEZ AND
37% ITS BECOMING INDEPENDENT. 67% SAID THAT ITS RETURN TO CHINA
WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE STATUS QUO
CITED WERE THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM (37%) AND THE LIFE STYLE (35%),
WITH FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND THE POLITICAL SYSTEM BOTH ATTRACTING
10% (CORRESPONDENTS COULD OPT FOR MORE THAN ONE). ALTHOUGH 95%
SAID THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD PLAY A PART IN DECIDING ITS
FUTURE, 58% CONSIDERED THAT THE PEOPLE WERE NOT IN FACT ABLE TO
INFLUENCE A DECISION COMPARED TO 38% WHO THOUGHT THEY COULD.
13. IN A PAPER ACCOMPANYING THEIR SURVEY, THE OBSERVERS RECOGNISED THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC'S FORMAL POSITION IN HONG KONG: THAT IT IS
CHINA'S TERRITORY WHICH WILL BECOME PART OF CHINA EVENTUALLY. WE
MUST FACE UP TO THE INEVITABILITY OF CHANGE''. THE OBSERVERS
WANTED A VOICE IN SHAPING OUR FUTURE, OUR AUTONOMY'' WHICH THEY
INTERPRETED NOT AS A CALL FOR INDEPENDENCE BUT FOR "
"AUTONOMY
WITHIN CHINA. THEY CONCLUDED THE OBSERVERS CANNOT OFFER A
SOLUTION TO THE 1997 PROBLEM. SOLUTIONS MUST BE REACHED BY
NEGOTIATIONS AND THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE MUST BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. THERE IS A NEED FOR CHINA TO CONSULT THE PEOPLE, NOT JUST INVESTORS, WHEN IT FORMULATES PLANS FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE. SO
MUST BRITAIN''.
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