CONFIDENTIAL
8
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
11.
Before setting out our Conclusions we wish to
make two general observations about the conduct of the
assessment task.
12.
First, there had been no previous experience
in Hong Kong of such a massive consultation and assessment
exercise
-
of which the organisation and terms of reference
had to be settled before the final outcome of the negotiations
with the Chinese Government was known; and some difficulties
were to be expected.
criticism of the value of the assessment task, to which
the Assessment Office itself could not reply; and, in
the light of it, we believe that more should have been
done earlier at the political level to explain, as well
as to assert, the importance of consulting and assessing
the views of Hong Kong on the draft agreement in all its
aspects. It was clearly evident that a people traditionally
reserved in political matters included many who were also
disposed to doubt the value of commenting on the overall
acceptability of a draft agreement which was not open to
Nevertheless, to those who have chosen
There has been some sharp public
any amendment.
to call the consultation and assessment task "a charade" or
"a farce" we wish to say that their view was certainly not shared by the many Hong Kong people, in different parts of
the community, whom we were able to hear discussing, with
care and concern, the draft agreement as a whole and all its
contents.