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favourable to the agreement. Over 1,200 letters have been received
by the Assessment Office from individuals and organisations.
Although this is not a large number given the population of Hong
Kong, it is a reasonable response by comparison with other such
exercises carried out in the territory. It must also be remembered
that many of the submissions come from groups and organisations with considerable memberships. Between 50 and 60% of correspondence is
favourable to the agreement, about 25% against and a further 20%
unclear. The main concerns expressed are on nationality,
conscription, the position of the Chief Executive, the need for Hong
Kong participation in the drafting of the Basic Law and in the Joint
Liaison Group. There has been some criticism of the Assessment
Office in Hong Kong as a "farce", mainly because the agreement
cannot be altered.
A
B
4.
Although there has been some trouble with numerous signed
copies of a circular letter rejecting the agreement which have been
received by the Assessment Office (and which may well have been
organised by the "I love free Hong Kong" campaign, which has KMT
connections), I see little reason to doubt that the Assessment
Office will conclude that the public response to the agreement is
overwhelmingly favourable. In particular the unanimous views in
favour of EXCO, UMELCO and the District Boards, together with
prestigious organisations like the Chinese Manufacturers'
Association, are bound to carry great weight.
5.
I submitted on the form in which we should publish the two
reports on 1 November. The Secretary of State agreed that we should
publish the two reports together as a White Paper while making it
absolutely clear that the two items were entirely separate.
The Commissioner for the Assessment Office has now recommended
that his report should either
6.
a)
include one extra volume of two hundred pages containing the
submissions from the Legislative Council, the Urban Council, the
Heung Yee Kuk and District Boards or
b) include two extra volumes (of 200 pages each) containing in
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