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RUN THE RISK OF SIGNING AN AGREEMENT WHICH THE CHINESE SIDE MAY
LATER UNILATERALLY ALTER ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT IS IN CONFLICT WITH
THE BASIC LAW?
IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, THE MORE DETAILED THE AGREEMENT, THE MORE
THAT THE BASIC LAW IS COMPATIBLE WITH IT AND THE MORE BINDING IT IS
IN FORM, THE MORE LIKELY THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WILL FIND IT
ACCEPTABLE IN THE BELIEF THAT THE CHINESE ARE MORE LIKELY ΤΟ
HONOUR IT. THUS, IF THE AGREEMENT IS TO BE SIGNED BEFORE THE BASIC
LAW IS PROMULGATED, SHOULD NOT PARLIAMENT WITHHOLD RATIFICATION
UNTIL THE DETAILS OF THE BASIC LAW ARE KNOWN?
EVEN SO, GIVEN THE HISTORICAL REALITY THAT HONG KONG HAS
DEVELOPED OVER MANY YEARS AS A RECOGNISABLE COMMUNITY IN ITS OWN
RIGHT, WITH ITS OWN DISTINCTIVE LIFE-STYLE, SURE HONG KONG PEOPLE
HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK FOR ASSURANCES THAT ANY AGREEMENT ENTERED
INTO BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS WILL BE HONOURED?
THAT IS TO SAY, SHOULD NOT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT INSIST ON A
MECHANISM WHICH WILL ENSURE THAT THE AGREEMENT IS FAITHFULLY
IMPLEMENTED?
TO THIS END, SHOULD NOT BRITAIN INSIST ON RETAINING SOME
RESIDUAL STATUS IN HONG KONG BEYOND 1997 TO PROVIDE
RE-ASSURANCE THAT THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT WILL BE KEPT?
GIVEN THE POSSIBIBLITY THAT THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WILL SEEK TO
ANTICIPATE 1997 AND START INTERFERING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF
HONG KONG BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, WILL THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT INSIST THAT IT MUST RETAIN EFFECTIVE CONTROL AS THE SOVEREIGN POWER,
DURING THE NEXT 13 YEARS? IF EFFECTIVE CONTROL IS NOT EXERCISED BY
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF HMG, A SMOOTH TRANSITION UP TO, LET ALONE STABLE GOVERNMENT BEYOND, 1997 WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE WILL NOT FEEL IT IS WORTH-
WHILE EVEN TO TRY TO ADJUST TO THEIR NEW CIRCUMSTANCES. A COLLAPSE
OF CONFIDENCE BEFORE 1997 WOULD MAKE HONG KONG VIRTUALLY
UNGOVERNABLE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE ALLEGIANCE OF THE POLICE AND THE
CIVIL SERVICE WILL BE SERIOUSLY IMPAIRED. QUOTE APART FROM THE DISASTROUS EFFECT ON THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, THIS WOULD BE AS
EMBARRASSING TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AS A RUINED ECONOMY WOULD
BE DISAPPOINTING TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
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