2
a peaceful squad of waterworks employees ammed with nothing more belligerent than their spanners to dry Hong Kong out
its extendable population to drown Hong Kong's economy under a cataclysm- ic flood of 'refunes'
4. It follows, then, thot without this Damocles' sword hanging over its head, Great Britain's delegation must have had an easy task to obtain every poss- ible concession in Hong Kong's favour, and, perforce, the Joint Declaration must be the best aurorent that could be negotiated in such auspicious circatinices.
Alleluia! Everything is for the best in the best of worlds.
5. We may also assume that some effort will be made to implement the 'one- country-two systems' catachresis, which is to ensure sixty three years of 'no change in the lifestyle of the people of Hong Kong, for two reasons:
it would reveal an vlecent haste, uncharacteristic of the Chinese, and sho " their impatience, if on the very day the lease expired, China was to start shaking Bong Feng's tree to collect its many-splendoured fruits
there is no newd to shake the tree, the fruits will soon be ripe to fall un- erringly into China's apron.
Borides, it would also bring to light the capriciousness of China's non-recog- nition of the validity of the 'unequal' treaties, when all that is needed is a little patience, of which China has plenty, as is dramatically demonstrated by Gina's survival as one of the older civilisations known to man.
6. It gives us great comfort that though China is not a democracy by a long shot, it has tright - as it is made clear in page 1,
brought
para. 1 of the Joint Decla- ration - the quinien of its people with respect to Hong Kong's political future, because it should only be fair to assure China would be favourably disposed to see Great Britain seeking to hear the voice of the people of Hong Kong concerning the future of their own existence, BEFORE signing any agreement, just as china did.
This might have been considered under reciprocal rights which are strongly felt and are universally exercised in democratic countries, and actually cons- titute the linchpin of urst agreements entered in good faith the world over.
7. It may confidently be assumed it has only been on account of a temporary lapse, that Great Britain, the oldest democracy on earth, has not claired this right for the people of Hong Kong. To err is human, particularly when third parties' interests are concerned, not one cwn's. Still if this solid tenet of the democratic philosophy were overlooked, the even older and more extensively used bargaining precept, the quid pro quo, might have come to mind. As one of the older trading and bargaining nations of the world, China would unhesitatingly recognise its caimon sense validity.
Will then let's see now, how this vestigial irritant left over from history reads out in the Joint Declaration, after makinu ere observation that is owed