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CONFIDENTIAL
THE STATEMENT ON THE ONE HAND ADMITTED THAT THE
COUNCILS UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WERE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR RATHER THAN ELECTED, AND THAT THEY MADE NO CLAIM
TO REPRESENTATIVE STATUS. AT THE SAME TIME,
IT SAID THEY WERE IN A POSITION TO REFLECT
THE VIEWS AND WISHES OF HONG KONG PEOPLE ON THIS IMPORTANT
QUESTION (HONG KONG'S FUTURE).'
THE STATMENT ALSO TALKED ABOUT HONG KONG'S
CONSTITUTIONAL
LINK WITH THE BRITISH CROWN, WHICH IT SAID HAD PROVIDED AN EFFECTIVE EXTERNAL INSULATOR AGAINST INTERFERENCE FROM
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THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. HONG KONG PEOPLE FEEL VERY DISA- PPOINTED AT THE IMMINENT WITHDRAWAL OF THE LINK WITH
BRITAIN', IT ADDED.
IGNORING THE FACT THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS REPEATEDLY STATED THAT HONG CONG'S PRESENT SOCIAL
SYSTEM AND WAY OF LIFE WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED AFTER CHINA RECOVERS SOVEREIGNTY OVER IT IN 1997, THE STATEMENT SAID: ''THE
CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO A POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY WHICH IS AT LEAST INCOMPATIBLE, AND AT WORST HOSTILE, TO THE PHILOSOPHY ON WHICH THE VARIOUS SYSTEMS AND FREEDOMS ENJOYED
BY HONG KONG TODAY REST.''
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT MAY LATER UNILATERALLY DISREGARD THE
AGREEMENT ON THE GROUND THAT IT IS IN CONFLICT WITH THE BASIC LAW,'' IT ADDED.
THE STATEMENT SAID BRITAIN SHOULD NOT RUN THE RISK
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OF SIGNING THE AGREEMENT AND URGED THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT
TO WITHOLD RATIFICATION UNTIL THE DETAILS OF THE
BASIC LAW ON THE STATUS OF HONG KONG ARE KNOWN.
IT ALSO URGED BRITAIN TO INSIST ON RETAINING SOME RESIDUAL STATUS BEYOND 1997 TJ PROVIDE REASSURANCE THAT THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT WILL BE KEPT.
THE STATEMENT IS CONSIDERED BY OBSERVERS HERE TO
BE A CLEAR ATTEMPT TO OBSTRUCT THE CONCLUSION OF AN AGREEMENT
BY THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS ON THE HONG KONG
ISSUE AT AN EARLY DATE. IT IS DETRIMENTAL TO HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY AND THEREFORE RUNS COUNTER
TO THE VIEWS AND WISHES OF HONG KONG COMPATRIOTS.
CONFIDENTIAL
COMMENT.