!
}
SEORET
THAT BECAUSE OF THEIR EXPERIENCE OF RECENT HISTORY THERE WERE STRONG RESERVATIONS ON THE PART OF HONG KONG PEOPLE. HE ADDED THAT WHILE HE FELT SURE MR XU UNDERSTOOD HONG KONG PEOPLE'S FEELINGS, HE WAS LESS CERTAIN THAT THE LEADERS IN BEIJING FULLY ACCEPTED XU'S
ASSESSMENTS.
6. MR LEE ALSO SAID THAT IMPORTANT AS 1986 WAS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFT, HE FELT THAT AN EVEN MORE IMPORTANT DATE FOR HONG KONG WAS 1937 WHEN THE OEVERALL REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WAS DUE, AS THAT WAS BOUND TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE SHAPE OF HONG KONG IN 1997. AGREEING, MR XU SAID 1988 WOULD INDEED BE OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE FOR HONG KONG: THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE JLG HERE AND THE POSSIBLE CHANGE IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. HE THEN WENT ON TO EXPRESS HIS GRAVE CONCERN OVER THE SPEED OF CHANGE IN THE MACHINERY OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG. HE COMPARED THE PRESSURE GROUPS IN FAVOUR OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE THIRST OF HONG KONG BUSINESSMEN FOR PROFITS - THEY CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH OF IT TOO SOON EXCLAM HE SAID THAT HONG KONG HAD PROSPERED UNDER THE FORMULA OF FREEDOM WITHOUT DEMOCRACY'' AND HONG KONG IN ITS PRESENT POSITION WAS JUST WHAT CHINA NEEDED FOR ITS FOUR MODERNISATIONS. HE WAS GREATLY CONCERNED THAT TOO SPEEDY POLITICAL CHANGE COULD WRECK ALL THAT.
1
7. MY IMPRESSION IS THAT MR XU'S REMARKS ABOUT THE BASIC LAW WERE INTENDED TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING WITHOUT GIVING ANYTHING AWAY, HE WANTED US TO TAKE DUE NOTE OF HIS REMARKS IN PARA. 6.
ENDS
LIMITED
но/нко HD/FED
MR WILS ON.
2
SEORET