PROVISIONS OF THE BASIC LAN. MENDERS CONSIDERED THAT THERE YOULD BE ADVANTAGE IN WILSON EMPHASISING AGAIN TO KE IN THE MARGINS OF THE CUPRENT MEETING THAT HE DID NOT INTEND TO ADOPT PRECONCEIVED IDEAS ABOUT 1999 AND THAT THE CHINESE SHOULD NOT TO SO EITHEP. MOREOVER, THERE WAS NOTHING MORE WE COULD DISCUSS WITH THE CHINESE NOW: THERE WERE NO PLANS PREPARED FOR INCLUSION IN THE 1987 PEVIW.
3. ON (V), THERE WAS SOME DIFFERENCE OF VIEW. SOME MEMBERS, NOTABLY SIR S.Y. CHUNG, THOUGHT THAT THERE HAD BEEN A CHANGE OF HEART BY THE CHINESE, WHO HAD NOW REACHED THE CONCLUSION THAT HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC SUCCESS AND USEFULNESS TO CHINA DEPENDED ON POWER CONTINUING TO RESIDE WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND NOT BEING TRANSFERRED TO THE LEGISLATURE. OUR AVOWED INTENTION OF ROOTING IT IN THE COMMUNITY VIA AN ELECTED LEGISLATURE WAS THEREFORE NOW SEEN BY THE CHINESE AS A THREAT TO HONG KONG'S CONTINUED USEFULNESS TO CHINA. OTHER MEMBERS, NOTABLE MR. ALLEN LEE, DOUBTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN ANY CHANGE OF HEART. THEY NOTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD FOR SOME TIME STOPPED MENTIONING HONG KONG PEOPLE RUNNING HONG KONG''.
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4. ON (C), THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION OF HOW THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING AND CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES MIGHT PLAY A USEFUL ROLE. MEMBERS SAID THAT THE BLCC WOULD BE LIKELY TO PRODUCE A WIDE RANGE OF IDEAS WHICH WOULD ADD MOMENTUM TO THE WIDER PUBLIC DEBATE. THESE MIGHT FORCE THE CHINESE TO PEVEAL WHETHER THEY WERE GENUINELY INTERESTED IN A CONSULTATATIVE PROCESS, OR WERE SIMPLY GOING TO DICTATE THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT TO THEIR OWN DESIGN. WE SHOULD NOT SURRENDER ALL MEANS OF RESISTING IF IT TURNED OUT THAT THE CHINESE WERE GOING TO ADOPT THE LATTER COURSE. MEMBERS AGREED THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO USE EVERY POSSIBLE CHANNEL TO CONVINCE THE CHINESE OF THE NEED TO ALLOW A RESPONSIBLE DEBATE. INDEED, THE NEXT TWO YEARS SHOULD BE USED TO PERSUADE THE CHINESE THAT THEY HAVE LITTLE TO FEAR AND MUCH TO GAIN FROM ALLOWING HONG KONG PEOPLE TO PRODUCE IDEAS ABOUT HOW THE PRINCIPLE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE RUNNING HONG KONG (WHICH THE CHINESE THEMSELVES HAD PUT FORWARD) SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IN PRACTICE.
5. MEMBERS NOTED ALSO THAT IT WOULD IN ANY CASE BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE BRITISH SIDE TO PRODUCE A GREEN PAPER IN 1987 WHICH WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE IDEAS BEING AIRED IN THE BASIC LAW CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE. I POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS MOST UNLIKELY THAT THE PUBLIC DEBATE, EITHER INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE BLCC, WOULD PRODUCE ANY VERY CLEAR PLAN. SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TO SUM UP THE DEBATE AND FOCUS IT ON SPECIFIC PROPOSALS. WE STILL HAD TO RECONCILE OUR DESIRE TO RETAIN THE ABILITY TO DO THIS IN THE 1987 REVIEW, AND THE CHINESE DESIRE TO DO SO THEMSELVES, NO DOUBT BRINGING THE FULL WEIGHT OF THEIR PROPAGANDA MACHINERY TO BEAR