3.17
WHOSE
NOTWITHSTANDING THE EXTENT OF THE RESPONSE IN SUPPORT OF ACCEPTANCE, IT IS NECESSARY TO POSE THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THERE IS A ''SILENT MAJORITY! VIEWS HAVE NOT BEEN HEARD. THE OFFICE IS CONVINCED BY THE EVIDENCE AVAILABLE THAT THE VIEWS OF THE SO-CALLED ''SILENT MAJORITY'' HAVE BEEN REFLECTED IN THE RESPONSE RECEIVED, AND THAT THOSE WHO HAVE SUGGESTED THIS IS NOT SO ARE UNAWARE OF THE RANGE AND DEPTH OF THE RESPONSE FROM THE MEDIA, FROM ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS AND FROM INDIVIDUALS AND ALSO CLEARLY IN THE INDEPENDENT OPINION SURVEYS DESCRIBED ABOVE.
3.18 THE READINGS OBTAINED BY THE OFFICE FROM THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN EACH OF THE MAIN CATEGORIES ARE CONSISTENT ONE WITH ANOTHER. THE OVERALL PICTURE WHICH EMERGES CAN REASONABLE BE SAID TO BE ONE WHICH GIVES A TRUE INDICATION OF HONG KONG OPINION AND SUPPORTS THE STATEMENT MADE IN PARAGRAPH 3.1 ABOVE. THE RANGE OF VIEWS IS
DESCRIBED IN PART 1 OF THIS CHAPTER.
PART 1: THE RANGE OF VIEWS
3.19
IN THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS THE RANGE OF VIEWS ON OVERALL ACCEPTABILITY ARE SUMMARIZED. WHILST ACKNOWLEDGING THE OVERWHELMING EXTENT OF OVERALL ACCEPTANCE, THE OFFICE, IN EXAMINING THE VIEWS EXPRESSED, HAS NOT UNDERRATED THE DEGREE TO WHICH THOSE WHO HAVE ACCEPTED THE DRAFT AGREEMENT HAVE PLACED ON RECORD THEIR CONCERNS. IN CHAPTER 4 DETAILS OF THE MANY COMMENTS MADE ON SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF THE DRAFT AGREEMENT REQUIRING RESOLUTION ARE DESCRIBED.
3.20
THE FAVOURABLE RESPONSE TO THE DRAFT AGREEMENT RANGED FROM OUTRIGHT PRAISE: TO QUALIFIED ACCEPTANCE: TO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT, IN THE LIGHT OF THE ALTERNATIVES,
IT IS THE BEST THAT CAN BE HOPED FOR. ADVERSE REACTION RANGED CONDEMNATION OF CERTAIN PARTS OF THE DRAFT AGREEMENT TO TOTAL REJECTION.
3.21 THE DRAFT AGREEMENT WAS SEEN TO PROVIDE A WAY BY WHICH SOVEREIGNTY COULD BE RESTORED TO CHINA PEACEFULLY WHILST, AT THE SAME TIME, IT REMOVED THE UNCERTAINTIES ABOUT THE FUTURE, PROVIDED A SOUND BASIS FOR CONTINUED PROSPERITY AND STABILITY AND PRESERVED FOR FIFTY YEARS THE FAMILIAR LIFE STYLE. THE CONCEPTS OF ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS' '' AND ''THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY WERE PRAISED AS IMAGINATIVE AND FARSIGHTED. PEOPLE HOLDING THESE VIEWS WERE OPTIMISTIC THAT THE DRAFT AGTEEMENT WOULD WORK AND THAT THE TWO SIDES WOULD HONOUR THEIR COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG.
'THE AGREEMENT IS A CLEAR DOCUMENT AND A GOOD ONE IN THE LIGHT OF PRESENT DAY- POLITICS. I SALUTE AND THANK ALL WHO WORK SO HARD FOR THE MILLIONS LIVING HERE.''
AN INDIVIDUAL
SECRET-23-
/THE