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FM HONG KONG 02094OZ AUG 25
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1569 OF 2 AUGUST
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
RECEIVED IN RE VSTRY
6 AUG1985
Co
DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT : COMMENTS BY MR-XU J LATUN
1. XU JIATUN, DIRECTOR OF NONA HONG KONG, AND THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR. E.P. HO, WERE GUESTS AT A PRIVATE DINNER PARTY ON 1 AUGUST GIVEN BY A PROMINENT LOCAL CHINESE BUSINESSMAN AND HELD IN THE JARDINE'S PENTHOUSE (MR. SIMON KESWICK WAS AMONG
THE GUESTS).
2. XU REPEATED DURING THE COURSE OF THE EVENING'S CONVERSATION THAT HE WAS WORRIED THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS MOVING TOO FAR AND TOO FAST WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. XU SAID THAT HONG KONG HAD PROSPERED UNDER A SYSTEM WHICH HAD PROVIDED FREEDOM WITHOUT DEMOCRACY, IMPLYING THAT REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT NECESSARY TO ENSURE CONTINUED FREEDOM AFTER 1997. XU ALSO REFERRED TO CHINA'S NEED FOR HONG KONG'S EXPERIENCE ETC IN ITS PLANS TO MODERNISE, INDICATING THAT ANY DECLINE IN HONG KONG'S STANDARDS AND PERFORMANCE WOULD BE CAUSE FOR MUCH CONCERN.
3. MIFT GIVES TEXT OF ERIC HO'S ACCOUNT OF THE MAIN EXCHANGES AT
THIS OCCASION.
4. COMMENT: AS YOU WILL HAVE SEEN FROM PRESS TELEGRAMS, THIS IS A FAIRLY CONSTANT THEME OF COMMENT BY XU AND OTHER MEMBERS OF NCNA, ALTHOUGH THEIR PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE GENERALLY RATHER CAUTIOUS, GIVEN THE WEIGHT OF DEMAND FROM SOME PRESSURE GROUPS AND SOME SECTIONS OF THE PRESS FOR EVEN FASTER PROGRESS.
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